When Jesus took his
disciples into the region of Casarea Philippi, he asked them, “Who do people
say that I am?” They threw out names like John the Baptist, Elijah, and
Jeremiah. Jesus questions them further and asks, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter steps forward with a bold proclamation: “You are the Christ, the Son of
the living God.” Jesus responds and says, “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
gate of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to 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 16:13-19)
From this passage we have
the establishment of the papacy. After
Peter makes his proclamation, Jesus changes his name from Simon to Peter. Peter
is Greek (petros) and Aramaic (kepha)
for rock. In Aramaic it is translated to “sizeable rock”. It is precisely upon this sizable rock—one
suitable as a building foundation—that Christ builds his Church. (Ignatius
Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, Ignatius Press, 2010. pg. 36) It is to Peter, the rock, that Jesus gives
the keys to the kingdom of heaven. From here we have the foundation of the
Church. For centuries the leadership of Peter has been passed down through
apostolic succession. Because of this seemingly simple conversation, we have
the beautiful gift of the papacy!
On the Feast of Our Lady
of Lourdes, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, announced his retirement from
the papacy at the end of this month. The last time a pope resigned from the
papacy was the year 1415 when Gregory XII resigned to end the Great Schism within
the Church. With sadness we support the
Holy Father’s decision because he will be truly missed. We also accept it with
great love because of the prayerful discernment with which this decision was
made “after…repeatedly examin[ing] [his] conscience before God”. (Read full statements here) I, as a layperson, can only
imagine the demands that are involved with being pope and I truly respect Pope
Benedict’s decision to resign. It shows
a man that has true courage, humility, and complete abandonment to the will of
God.
We should continue to pray
for the Holy Father during his last days as Pope; for his health and also, for
the new Pope that will be chosen during March. The Holy Spirit is truly moving within the
Church. Let us also pray for those Cardinals who will gather for the conclave
and their prayerful discernment of our future pope, for their intentions during
this time and for clarity in their discernment.
During this season of
Lent, let us faithfully be docile to the movements of the Holy Spirit in our
lives and in the Church and with humble confidence, let us entrust this
intention to Our Lady, who knows and understands the needs and concerns of her
children.
Remember, O most gracious
Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by
this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my mother; to thee do we
come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word
Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us. Amen.
Written by Alycia
