20180629
THE SPIRITUAL AND MORAL AUTHORITY OF THE
CHURCH
29 JUNE, 2018, Friday, Ss Peter and
Paul, Apostles
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First reading
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Acts 12:1-11 ©
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'Now I know the Lord really did save me from Herod'
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King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He
beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews
he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened
Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each
to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of
Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for
him unremittingly.
On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was
sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept
watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord
stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side
and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his
hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done
this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter
followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in
reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts
one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened
of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one
street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to
himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his
angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so
certain would happen to me.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 33(34):2-9 ©
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From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
or
The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere
him.
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
or
The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere
him.
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
or
The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere
him.
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
or
The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere
him.
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
or
The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere
him.
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Second reading
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2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 ©
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All there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved
for me
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My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time
has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run
the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the
crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have
longed for his Appearing.
The Lord
stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be
proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil
attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Mt16:18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 16:13-19 ©
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You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church
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When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this
question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they
said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one
of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter
spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus
replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and
blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you:
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the
underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in
heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’
THE SPIRITUAL AND MORAL AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH
When we think
of the Roman Catholic Church, we cannot but be amazed that as a human
institution, we have managed to stay united under one leadership of St Peter
and his successors for the last 2000 years. There is no human institution, whether
political or religious, that has remained united as one organization for so
long. Even if they still exist, they are very much divided into sects and
denominations. But the Church, in spite of the onslaught of sin and
scandals within, and challenges and opposition from without, remains strong as
she weathers the vicissitudes of development.
What is the
secret of the unity and permanency of the Church? It is because
our faith rests in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church founded by
Christ and sustained by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The
Church is more than just a human institution. We believe it is of divine origin
because it was established by Christ, our Lord and Saviour Himself. This
was what the Lord said at the gospel. “So I now say to you: You are Peter
and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can
never hold out against it.” The Church derives her authority from
Christ Himself. It is a spiritual authority entrusted to the Church for
the salvation of humanity.
This loss of
faith in the spiritual authority of the Church is due to the secular influence
of the world.
Many, even Catholics, today see the Church as a mere human institution.
They speak about democracy. There are attempts to run the Church
according to popular consensus as in politics in democratic countries. If
truth, whether in doctrines and morality, is decided by consensus or voting,
the Church would have been divided two thousand years ago. This is why
the world is so divided because it promotes relativism. When truth is
decided by vote and consensus, the sheep, some of which are blind and dumb, or
wounded and injured, will lead the shepherd. This is why the Lord
said to Peter, “Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not
flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.”
Truth is from
God. Without God, there is no truth. Faith in God requires divine
revelation, not something that we can reason with the human mind. If that were the case,
then there is no need for faith if faith is proven and reasoned.
Precisely, because truth is beyond human grasp, we need the revelation of God
and faith is our response to that truth. For Peter and the apostles to
confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, that requires an
act of faith. Christ who reveals His Father to us and His identity as the
Son of God demands a response of faith. Only those who have faith can see
the Risen Lord, which confirms His identity as the Son of God. Therefore,
the authority of the Church is a spiritual authority and not one that rests on
human approval.
Indeed, the
spiritual authority of the Church comes from faith. Faith in Christ as the
Messiah, the Son of the Living God, is the basis of this authority. This
is what the Lord meant when He said to Peter, “You are Peter and on this rock I
will build my Church.” What is this rock? This rock refers
primarily to Christ as the cornerstone of the Church. He is our rock of
salvation on which the foundation of the Church rests. Faith in Christ as
Lord and Saviour, is the rock on which every Christian’s faith in built.
Secondly, this rock refers to the faith of St Peter who confessed in Christ as
the Son of the living God. In this confession, he represents the entire
Church in declaring our faith in Christ. He speaks in the name of the
Church. This is why the Pope, as the supreme head of the Church,
speaks and teaches in the name of the Church and in the name of Christ.
This does not
mean that the Church is simply hierarchical and not collegial. Whilst we recognize that the
supreme authority lies in the successor of St Peter and the apostles, which we
call the Magisterium, the Church acts democratically by collaborating with all
clergy, religious and laity through consultation and dialogue. The Holy
Father and the Magisterium have a moral obligation to consult the People of God
with regard to doctrines and morals, and especially in the area of
administration. However, in the final analysis, after all the
consultation, the Magisterium must bring all the different views to prayer, and
seek divine guidance over what is right and what is wrong.
What, then,
is the nature of the spiritual authority exercised by the Church? Firstly, it is an
exercise of Church discipline, doctrines and morals. The Church
has to safeguard the deposit of faith entrusted to her by Christ as contained in
scripture and tradition. The Lord promised Peter, “I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered
bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in
heaven.” The truths of faith cannot change but the way we express them
and how we apply them to concrete situations require creativity. This is
what Pope Francis is seeking to do; not to change the doctrines but to apply
them in a way that attracts people to Christ and not drive them further away
from the Church. The Church also has a duty to protect the People of God
and to ensure unity and order by acting to prevent moral decadence, scandals
and injustices.
Secondly, the
real authority of the Church is to proclaim the mercy and forgiveness of God. This is the primary mission
of the Church because Christ’s primary mission is to reveal God’s mercy and
compassion for us sinners through His death and resurrection. Hence,
Jesus bestowed on Peter and his successors, including the apostles, the
authority to forgive sins. He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them;
if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20:22f)
This is the thrust of Pope Francis’ legacy as well. Whilst Pope Emeritus
Benedict underscored the love of God, Pope Francis spelt out this love as His
mercy. The Church’s mission is one of mercy, not condemnation. Jesus
said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did
not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him.” (Jn 3:16f)
Thirdly, this
authority given to the Church is the authority to proclaim the Good News to all
creation. This mission is given to every Christian who shares the faith of
Sts Peter and Paul in proclaiming Christ as the Saviour of all humanity. All
of us, regardless who we are, have a responsibility by virtue of our baptism to
announce to the world that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and to share the Good
News of salvation which we have received. With St Paul, the great
missionary to the Gentile, we too must offer our life for the service of the
gospel according to the vocation we have been given. We are called to be
faithful like St Paul, serving the Lord right to the end. St Paul said,
“As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time
has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run
the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the
crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will
give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for
his Appearing.”
Indeed, even
as we struggle in our times to weather the attacks on the Church and her
doctrines from without, and to deal with the scandals and sins from within, we
must hold on to our faith in Christ who promised to be with the Church until
the end of time. Just as He protected St Peter when he was in prison and
delivered him from his enemies, He too will send His angels to deliver us from
our trials and from death. God will not abandon the Church, and the sign
that He is with us is precisely, the indefatigable fidelity of the Church.
This, too, is
the prayer of the psalmist and Christians for all ages, “Glorify the Lord with
me. Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered
me; from all my terrors he set me free. Look towards him and be radiant; let
your faces not be abashed. This poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued
him from all his distress. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those
who revere him, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is
happy who seeks refuge in him.”
So have
courage when we see the turmoil in the world, and even within the Church.
He will stand by us. With St Paul, we can be assured of God’s fidelity to us as
well. With him, we declare confidently, “The Lord stood by me and gave me
power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the
pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue
me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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