From the responsorial psalm: “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. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 16:13-19)
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.”
As Jesus asks his disciples who people think he is, they give various answers, but Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God. This realization, Jesus tells Peter, comes not from human understanding but from God. And Jesus declares “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church” and that it will endure. Finally, Jesus entrusts to Peter the Kingdom of heaven, granting him authority as the head of the Church, our first pope. In the second reading, we hear Paul say, “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.”
God, thank you for the two pillars of the Church, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul. Thank you for the gift of faith and the promise that the Church will endure forever through the authority with which you entrusted to Peter and the leaders you have called over the ages. Both Peter and Paul suffered and were martyred for the sake of Christ and to spread the Gospel to all nations. By their example, give me the grace to learn from them and grow in faith. At the end of the day at the end of every day, let me say as Paul said, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.