“And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church.”

Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16:13-20

Reflection

Jesus asks his disciples who people say he is. They reply that others claim he is Elijah, John the Baptist, or another prophet. Then Jesus asks who they believe him to be, and Peter replies that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus then tells Peter that he will build his church upon him, and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it.

We hear a beautiful passage in which Jesus establishes the Catholic Church. He gives Peter authority to bind and loose, and this authority has been passed on until the present day. The disciples believe Jesus to be the Christ, and this is confirmed by Jesus himself. Our God came down to earth to found a church in which we are able to know and love him in a relational way.

Jesus reveals himself as God to us every day. He guides us through life, presenting his infinite wisdom and love for us in a myriad of ways, always striving to bring us closer to his heart. Reflect on your faith in Christ – how can you improve in it?

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Saint of the Day

St. Rose of Lima: 1586 – 1617

“Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart…. Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to Heaven.” St. Rose of Lima