Gospels explained by Jesus - Gospel messages, gospels explanation |
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Matthew 16: 13-19
Year B -
SS Peter and Paul, Apostles
You are Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I chose my twelve apostles after intense prayer, I knew them before they even met me, I knew their weakness and also their potential to be my followers and the grounds for my Church.
When Peter answered my question “Who do people say that I am?” I said to Him, You are blessed because flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven. Yes, He knew already in his heart that I was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. To be the Christ means to be the perfect man, the Messiah, The Savior of the world. It is not just a title, it is the reality of my being, it is not just an honor, but my role as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. However I did not come to be proud about my status as King, since my Kingdom was not of this world, I did not come to be served, all the contrary I came to serve humanity by my teachings and by my death on the cross. He, who follows me, leaves everything behind to surrender his life to me, he learns from the wisdom of my word, he desires to become like me and in the end I make him another Christ. This is what I did with my apostles, except for the one who chose to betray me. Since my mission on earth had to be accomplished in Calvary, I needed to prepare a way to continue in Spirit in my new body the Church. I had already the Apostolic grounds, I was the head, my apostles would be my mouth, arms and feet, my heart would beat constantly in the sacraments, my flesh and blood would give life to the body in the sacraments, and I would send the Holy Spirit to be the soul of my mystical body, so that It would live until the end of times. St. Paul confessed his faith and his love for me saying, It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. I received the same fidelity from Peter and from all my Apostles, I entrusted them with my Church. I chose Peter to be the head of the Apostles because of his deep faith in me, and because I needed someone to represent my authority. When a person has a change of heart, he receives a new name from God, a name that explains what he has become, this is why Abram was named Abraham after his surrender to God. Simon son of Jona, had a great conversion, he was totally mine, so I gave him a new name, Petros or Peter (rock). It is on a solid foundation that I built my Church. I gave him the keys of my Kingdom, in other words I gave him the power to guide the rest of the apostles, to elect new apostles and priests, to organize the militant Church that would bear testimony of my Living Presence among you and to dispense the sacraments of Salvation. I gave my apostles and their successors the power to forgive sins, the power to change the bread and wine into my flesh and blood and the authority to guide the Church in accordance with my Will. Peter was the first Pope of my Church. And my Church is still very much alive, when you look at the Holy Father, you are looking at Peter. Just as I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, my Church is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Find me in the Church as you follow her instructions and precepts, rejoice in the truth of the Catholic Faith and find life in the living fountain of the altar, where I remain with you as your faithful God, Emmanuel, God with you.
Received by: Joseph
of Jesus and Mary
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13 And Jesus came into the region of Cesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples: who do people say that the Son of man is?
