Matthew 16:13-19

Acts 12:1-11

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

Matthew 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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I believe that Jesus is the Christ and your eternal Son. You sent him to establish the Church as the seed and beginning of your Kingdom. Through Peter, the apostles, and the disciples, you spread your Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Reign in my heart!

Encountering the Word of God

1. From Saul the Pharisee to Paul the Apostle: When we contemplate the life of Saul the Pharisee, we witness a great conversion. Unlike King Saul, who was chosen by God to lead his people and who failed miserably, Saul the Pharisee followed a different path. When he encountered the Risen Jesus, he did not act arrogantly and stubbornly hold on to his old ways. King Saul fell because of his pride and disobedience; Saul the Pharisee was raised up because of his humility and the obedience of faith. One of the goals of the Acts of the Apostles is to show that the lives of Paul and Peter parallel each other. The author, Luke, wants to show that the controversial teachings of Paul are actually in line with those of Peter. The Old Covenant has been brought to fulfillment in the New. Salvation is not through the works of the Old Law or ethnic descent from Abraham and Jacob. Salvation is through faith in Jesus, who died for us and poured out the Spirit upon us. This is the Good News that Paul the Apostle and Peter the Rock brought to the world.

2. From Simon the Fisherman to the Foundation Rock: Like Saul, Simon’s life was marked by conversion. When Simon encountered Jesus, he fell to his knees and begged Jesus to depart, for he, Simon the Fisherman, was a sinful man. Jesus didn’t see Simon’s sinful past as an obstacle. Jesus responded to Simon’s confession with loving mercy. He lifted him up and gave him a new mission – to be a fisher of men and of God’s children scattered throughout the world, to be a shepherd of his flock, to be a foundation rock of his Church. When we read the Acts of the Apostles together with Luke’s Gospel, we see that Luke shows not only that Paul and Peter did similar miracles and preached a similar message, but that their actions and words are those of Christ himself.

3. Jesus, the Christ: The lives of Saul and Simon were marked by powerful conversions. They left their former ways of life and followed the Lord Jesus. Jesus’ life was not marked by conversion. He was sinless and did not need to convert. However, Jesus did identify himself with us sinners. He grew in stature, strength, wisdom, and grace. He was tempted as we are and did not fail. He was victorious and, through his suffering, perfected our human nature. The lives of Paul and Peter parallel that of Jesus and give us a model to follow. We are all called to become more like Christ in our daily lives. “Christification” is the way.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, enlighten my mind and guide me to know my mission and how to place the talents you gave me at the service of your Kingdom. I reaffirm my faith in you today as the Son of God. Be with me always as I walk toward eternal life with you.

Living the Word of God: The lives of Peter and Paul teach us that we each have different personalities, sensibilities, gifts, and ways of encountering Jesus and responding to him. Holiness is essentially union with God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. At the same time, our holiness is personal; as Jacques Philippe writes: “there are as many forms of holiness, and hence also ways to holiness, as there are people. For God, each person is absolutely unique. Holiness is not the realization of a given model of perfection that is identical for everyone” (Philippe, In the School of the Holy Spirit, 17-18). To be holy, we need to understand that God will reveal his path to us by degrees, through the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. Both Peter and Paul are models for us, as they both allowed themselves to be guided by the Spirit through many trials and sufferings. Both now enjoy the heavenly glory of God and intercede for us before the throne of grace.