† Quote of the Day“Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” -St. Paul (Philippians 3:13-14) Today’s Meditation"People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, ‘If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if you don’t I’ll do the other thing.’ I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at this moment is progressing to the one state or the other." —C. S. Lewis, p. 92
An excerpt from Mere Christianity Daily Verse[Jesus] asked his disciples, 'Who do men say that the Son of man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli′jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' -Matthew 16:15-19
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EWTN Daily Saint
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Sts Peter And PaulSt. Peter and St. Paul (1st c.) were the foremost Apostles of Jesus Christ; St. Peter was the leader of the Twelve, while St. Paul followed Christ after His ascension into heaven. Together the two saints are the founders of the Church in Rome through their apostolic preaching, ministry, and martyrdom in that city. They are the solid rock on which the foundation of the Catholic Church is built, and they will forever remain her protectors and guides. To them Rome owes her true greatness, for it was under God's providential guidance that they transformed the capital of the Roman Empire into the heart of the Church, with the mission to radiate the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world. Both saints were martyred in close proximity to one another; Peter first, then Paul, though some traditions claim they were killed on the same day. St. Peter was crucified upside down and buried on the hill of the Vatican where St. Peter's Basilica now stands. St. Paul was beheaded on the via Ostia and buried where the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls now stands. St. Peter and St. Paul are the patron saints of Rome and they share a feast day on June 29, a tradition going back to the earliest centuries of the Church. See more about St. Peter. See more about St. Paul.
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Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, ApostlesMass during the Day Lectionary: 591 Reading IActs 12:1-11 In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews
he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–
He had him taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
Peter, secured by double chains,
was sleeping between two soldiers,
while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,
“Get up quickly.”
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”
He did so.
Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
So he followed him out,
not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first guard, then the second,
and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,
and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.” Responsorial PsalmPsalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. Reading II2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance. The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. AlleluiaMatthew 16:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 16:13-19 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: Matthew 16:13-19Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. (Matthew 16:17) The saints pray for us, inspire us, and show us that it’s possible to do great things for God. It’s easy, though, to see them as heroic men and women with gifts and achievements that we can never hope to replicate. That’s especially true of St. Peter and St. Paul, whose feast we celebrate today. They took the Church beyond the original disciples of Jesus! But even Peter and Paul were not utterly different from us. They bore witness to God’s power to take ordinary human beings and make them powerful witnesses for the gospel. They turned to God in their weakness and responded to his grace. We can all do that! Peter and Paul were formed by the Lord in the fire of difficulties and failures that left them humbled and reliant on the Spirit’s grace and power. As a result, their hearts were captured by Jesus’ love and his call for their lives. Paul was a brilliant and zealous Pharisee who excelled in nearly everything he did (Philippians 3:4-6). Yet God showed him that by persecuting the disciples, he was persecuting Jesus himself (Acts 9:4). In response to this revelation, Paul completely changed. He determined only to be like Jesus, “poured out like a libation,” as an offering for the Lord and a missionary of the good news (2 Timothy 4:6). Peter, too, was a man full of faith and passion, yet he tended to trust his own wisdom. He was humbled when he denied Jesus three times (John 18:27). But Peter’s story did not end with despair. He experienced the love and mercy of a Savior who would never forsake him (21:15-22). In response, Peter spent the rest of his life boldly preaching and building up the Church. We are all called to be saints, each in our own way. And that’s possible because the same Spirit who transformed Peter and Paul is at work in us. Our holiness grows as we receive God’s grace and allow him to lead us and change us. So how is Jesus calling you to follow him today? “I love you, Lord. Make me the saint that you want me to be.” Acts 12:1-11
Psalm 34:2-9
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel: "..... And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”... ”
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From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus declares that the gates of hell (“the netherworld”) shall not prevail against his Church. And Jesus insists that this society, grounded in Peter’s confession, would constitute an army so powerful that not even the fortified capital of the dark kingdom itself could withstand it. It is fascinating to me how often we construe this saying of Jesus in precisely the opposite direction, as though the Church is guaranteed safety against the onslaughts of hell. In point of fact, Jesus is suggesting a much more aggressive image: His Church will lay successful siege upon the kingdom of evil, knocking down its gate and breaching its walls. And notice, too, how Jesus uses the future tense—“I will build my Church.” Therefore he cannot be speaking simply of Peter personally but of all those who would participate in his charism throughout the centuries. The integrity of this ekklesia will be guaranteed up and down the centuries—not through appeal to popular opinion (as instructive as that might be) nor through the ministrations of an institutional or theological elite (as necessary as those might be) but rather through the pope’s charismatic knowledge of who Jesus is."
From Roberto Juarez:
Jesus said, "I will build my Church." It is a phrase in the present continuous. Christ continues to build his Church. He does so through the sacraments. Of the Word. From the witness of so many simple Christians. Of those who proclaim the Gospel. Of those who serve the poor. Of those who educate their children in the faith. Each of us is a living stone of that building. Not spectators. Not simple users of the Church. But living members of the same Body.
Today we celebrate the unity of the Church around the faith of Peter and the missionary zeal of Paul. And that unity finds its center in the Eucharist. Here we all receive the same Lord. Here our differences disappear to become one body. Here Christ continues to build up his Church. And here we receive the strength to continue the mission that began with the apostles.
On this solemnity let us give thanks to God for the witness of St Peter and Paul. Let us ask them to help us respond every day, with the same conviction as Peter: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." May they grant us Paul's missionary zeal to proclaim the Gospel without fear. May they support the Pope in his ministry of confirming their brothers and sisters in the faith. And may we, as living stones of the Church, always stand firm on the one rock that never cracks: Jesus Christ, Lord of history and Saviour of the world." end quote.
Wow. Saint Peter is given the keys to the Kingdom.
And how does that look today? Saint Peter was our first pope. The Catholic Church is now over Rome, the most deadiest place for a Christian for centuries. For hundreds and hundreds of years they tried to kill every single Pope (and succeeded for many popes) but in the end...The Catholic Church prevails. How can we all take heart in God's truth now with hindsight being clear that our Lord Jesus spoke the truth until today? And until does not change things. Like Mother Mary was a virgin until our Lord came...it never ceased to exist...as being the holiest and preserved from Sin for God to enter.
Now we are getting somewhere.
What you do too, has eternal ramifications.
Your actions, no matter how small, have ripple effects throughout the world.
There is a theory, that we are interconnected with any person in the world within only 5 connections that we know.
If this is true, we can see that we are affecting the world as we know it.
I think of the prisoners. Many have lost hope.
I think of the nursing home elderly folks we see weekly, many have lost hope.
And then, some of us fight to get in to see them.
Because it is NOT easy to go see Jesus. It is an uphill battle all the time.
Very few are strong enough.
One time I was asked "I don't know how you do it Adrian, I'm not strong enough". I responded with the truth that I know...it is The Eucharist. He is our soul strength. He is the fortification for a willing soul that is open to Him. A sunflower needs the sun, to face the scorching sun, to have life.
This is the face of Moses, illuminated, because He saw our God.
It is hard to look at the light direct, but it is good.
The light is shown in confession. The light is fed in the Eucharist.
Today, I encourage you as I encourage the poor people that are losing hope, take heart, your light, makes a difference. Even if you were not in a public eye, your light in the spiritual world is making a difference. This is the truth of a monastery, or a convent, or those locked away in solitude for our Lord. The light is making a difference. And there...the battle rages on for the light to remain.
And our Lord calls us "Remain In Me"..."I Am with You...ALWAYS".
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Random Bible Verse 1
1 Corinthians 15:56–57 "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Word of the Lord!
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