DAILY HOMILIES #St. Peter

“Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death, no evil would I fear. For you are with me.” Get this. God does not prevent us from “walking through the valley of death”; He doesn’t stop us from passing through the fire. He makes us go through all of these to teach us that no matter what we face, He deserves our complete trust.

It is believed that Mark was among the Seventy whom Jesus sent out two by two into the surrounding countries in Luke 10:1-20. As Luke narrates, the seventy returned rejoicing, declaring that the evil spirits obeyed their bidding. This is the same reality Mark conveys in the concluding part of his Gospel passage, which we read today. “And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by signs that attended it.” (Mark 16:20).

St. Patrick, the beloved patron saint of Ireland, was originally from Roman Britain. When he was fourteen, Irish pirates captured him and took him to Ireland as a slave. His strong faith provided comfort and hope during his six years in captivity. A divine dream inspired Patrick to escape, and he eventually returned to Britain and reunited with his family. Feeling a sacred calling, Patrick became a priest and was later ordained a bishop. He was driven to bring Christianity to Ireland, arriving in Slane on 25 March 433.

Today’s Gospel passage continues Jesus’ response to Peter when he tried to discourage Him from the Way of the Cross (the road of suffering, humiliation and death). Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” What does this mean? St. John Chrysostom said, “When you deny a person, for instance, say, a brother or a close friend, it means you would fail to defend that person or try to rescue him when you see him beaten, kicked, slapped and tortured. And so, when you deny yourself, you do not resist whatever sufferings, beatings, or humiliation come your way due to your Christian Faith.”

After listening to Peter, the crowd asked: “What are we to do?” This crowd remains a model of how we listen to God’s Words. They did not ask Peter about his degrees or qualifications. They were not concerned about where he came from or his profession. Although most of them were Jews who had come from different parts of the world to celebrate Pentecost, they did not ask Peter to work signs. Do not be distracted by the messenger when listening to God’s Word. Instead, allow the message to work in you by asking important questions such as: “What must I do? What needs to change in my life? What can I improve?”

Lent is finally over. Am I also in haste to move on with my life? No more Stations of the Cross, no more fasting and abstinence. Am I going to return to my old habits and vices? Mary Magdalene refused to move on. Her actions proved she was a true friend of Jesus. She was among the Women of Jerusalem who wept for Jesus while the crowd cheered and mocked, but when others moved on, she went to the tomb early in the morning. For this, she became the first to see the Risen Jesus.

The Pope is a manager and a steward of God’s flock, and every ordained minister is a servant of the souls entrusted to their care. Hence, our responsorial psalm today reminds us that “The Lord (not the Pope) is our shepherd.” Having reposed such enormous power on St. Peter (and his subsequent successors), Jesus, knowing that Popes will be prone to human weakness, added: “And the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church.”

Pretence is a virus we must delete from our lives. Secondly, when correcting others, avoid speaking behind their backs lest it becomes merely gossip and character assassination. By addressing God as our Father, Jesus shows us that we are God’s children, and this must be reflected in our behaviour. Every temptation (or trial) is a spiritual battle; if we are not fortified, we fall

Like the tenants in Jesus’ parable, we often forget that we are tenants on earth and there is nothing we can do to “own” the world. No matter how much you achieve on earth, you will leave everything behind one day. So take it easy. Never forget you are not yet home.

Regardless of your age or achievements, remember you are an infant; have a childlike attitude towards God. In today’s Gospel passage, we see how Bartimaeus successfully received his eyesight because he approached Jesus like a child who did not stop begging until he got the needed attention. It is not in our place to issue commands to God.

A simple way to understand infallibility is to reflect on the incarnation. While Jesus remained God, He humbled himself to the point of taking our weak human nature. In the same way, while Jesus remains the owner and builder of the church, He is incarnated in the person of the Pope.

Today is a day we pray for our Pope who is the visible head of the Church and the representative of Christ on earth. As we pray for him, we also pray for all those who assist him in the exercise of his duties as well as our Bishops, Priests, Religious and Clergy who share in his Apostolic Ministry in various degrees