Saints Peter and Paul, apostles
H. Sergio Rodriguez, LC.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christ, our King, Thy Kingdom come!
Preparatory prayer (to put me in the presence of God)
Lord Jesus, I ask you to make yourself present in my life, and in a special way in this moment of prayer. Help me to listen to your word, to internalize your message and to preach your teachings by the example of my Christian life, so that I may be a faithful collaborator in the extension of your kingdom. Amen.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 16:13-19
At that time, when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples this question, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They answered him, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; others, Elijah; others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”.
Then he asked them, “Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter took the floor and said to him, ”You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.“.
Then Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of John, for this has not been revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. The powers of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of 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.”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
We may at times in prayer question who Jesus Christ is for each of us, but it is even more important than that to discover who I am for Jesus Christ.
On one occasion during a day of missions in New York City, one of the missionaries, eager to evangelize, approached a young man who was passing by and invited him to stop for a moment and say a little prayer. The young man listened to the missionary and answered: No, thank you, I... do not believe in God. The missionary looked at him calmly and said: No, but God believes in you.
This was probably the experience of St. Paul at the moment of his conversion and that of St. Peter in this Gospel passage. His response to the Lord was nothing more than a consequence of his profound experience of the trust and love of God, which is why the Lord calls him blessed, because he had accepted in his life the fact that He was his Savior, Brother and God.
When not only our lips, but also our heart manages to say: «You are the Messiah, the Son of God», it is because we have understood the particular responsibility and mission that God has given us on this earth, and the certainty that the powers of hell will not prevail over it.
«Saints Peter and Paul, whom we celebrate today, are sometimes depicted in icons as supporting the building of the Church. This reminds us of the words of today's Gospel, in which Jesus says to Peter: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church”. This is the first time that Jesus pronounces the word “Church”, but rather than the noun I would like to invite you to think about the adjective, which is a possessive, “my”: my Church. Jesus does not speak of the Church as an external reality, but expresses the great love he has for her: my Church. He loves the Church, us. St. Paul writes: “Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her”, that is, the apostle explains: Jesus loves the Church as his bride. For the Lord we are not a group of believers or a religious organization, we are his bride. He looks at his Church with tenderness, he loves her with absolute fidelity, in spite of our mistakes and betrayals. Like that day to Peter, today he says to all of us: “my Church, you my Church”. And we too can repeat it: my Church. We do not say it with a sense of exclusive belonging, but with an inclusive love. Not to differentiate ourselves from others, but to learn the beauty of being with others, because Jesus wants us united and open.»
(Homily H.H. Francis, June 29, 2019)
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare yourself to talk with much love with the One who loves you.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love and presence in my life; I want to be Your witness and demonstrate with my life, that I am convinced that You are the Messiah, the Son of God. Increase my faith, hope and love. I place in your hands the intentions of my heart and my will at the service of your mission. Amen.
Purpose
Propose a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved... or, if you believe that this is what God is asking of you, live what is suggested below.
To think about what is the greatest current concern in my life and to place it sincerely in the Lord's hands, with an attitude of abandonment to his providence and will.
Farewell
We thank You, Lord, for all Your benefits, You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Christ, our King!
Thy Kingdom come!
Most prudent Virgin, Mary, Mother of the Church.
Pray for us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
