20240629 CAN THE CHURCH WITHSTAND THE ONSLAUGHTS OF THE WORLD?
29 June 2024, Saturday, Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles
First reading | Acts 12:1-11 |
'Now I know the Lord really did save me from Herod'
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.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 33(34):2-9 |
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.
Second reading |
2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 |
All there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved 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.
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.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt16:18 |
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!
Gospel |
Matthew 16:13-19 |
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church
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.’
CAN THE CHURCH WITHSTAND THE ONSLAUGHTS OF THE WORLD?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 12: 1-11; Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18; MT 16:13-19]
We are living in a world of rapid change. The world is moving and changing so fast that what we see today was unimaginable 30 years ago. Technology, mass media and digital communications have changed the world radically. The way we communicate, the way we live, our lifestyles, whether it is at work, in the family, social or religious life, have changed.
But it is not just changes in technology; economic, political and social life, and ideologies have changed as well. Indeed, today, we are paralyzed by the many choices in life. Even buying a phone is not an easy decision as there is a whole range of choices, all with different capabilities. Watching television or going for a movie is equally daunting as there is a plethora of options to choose from. So, too, with regard to the different ideologies of how life should be lived. All opinions seem to have their valid points. With so much information it is difficult to make sense of what is truly right or wrong. In a society that is so steeped in relativism, it has become difficult for anyone to talk about morality. Pragmatism and individualism rule the day. At the other extreme end of the pendulum, those who resist change express themselves in fundamentalism which can become violent, especially among religious fanatics.
In the midst of these changes, the Church presents herself as the spokesman for what is truth in the world. The Church, in the person of the Holy Father, is seen as the moral spokesman for humanity. The Church regards herself as the bulwark and pillar of truth. But the Church is also under attack from the onslaughts of those who disagree with her teachings. There is much opposition not just from without but also from within.
Can the Church withstand the change of time in the light of extreme ideologies such as relativism, secularism and fundamentalism? The common lamentation of our young people is that the Church is no longer relevant in their lives. We seem to be speaking a different language and they cannot sync with the Church’s language, both in terms of style, content and communication. Indeed, will the Catholic Church be reduced to a minority, as Pope Emeritus Benedict warned us during his pontificate? We have the new Herods persecuting the Church today for political gains. In the first reading we read that King Herod “beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well.”
Many political and even religious leaders are pandering to the wishes of the majority, regardless whether those things they ask for are good or bad for them. Instead of leading the people into the fullness of truth, they are being led by the people. This is the consequence of democracy – truth by consensus. Or rather, a pragmatic approach to life. Give them whatever they want. The leader is reduced to a coordinator, no longer one who leads. The truth is that most people behave like little children. In a world of technology and consumerism, we must get what we want quickly. We cannot wait. So, do we pander to the desires of our children even when they ask for things that could harm their future? But this is what we do for the so-called adults in the world today. The world is no longer ruled by truth but by consensus and desires.
So as leaders, how can we lead if we do not know the truth, what is truly good for our people, not just for today but for tomorrow? As in the gospel, the people during the time of Jesus held different views about Him. We get nowhere if we base the truth on consensus. Reason is important for finding the truth, but truth has its limits and must be supplemented by faith.
How can we be sure that we have the truth to life and love if not because of our faith in Christ as the Son of the Living God? This is the foundation of truth. Jesus assured Peter, “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.” Unless our faith is founded on the Church’s faith in Christ as the Son of the Living God, we cannot claim that we have the truth. Anything less than this confession of faith expressed by Peter will not give us the courage to withstand the onslaughts of the world and the diverse worldviews.
By extension, as Catholics, we also believe that the rock that Jesus refers to is not just the rock of faith but Peter, the leader among the apostles. He is also that little pebble, “Petra” in which the Church is built upon. This is because the Lord has entrusted the keys of heaven, that is the authority, to St Peter to decide on matters pertaining to faith and morals for the Church. The Lord said, “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.” For this reason, good Catholics will abide by the teachings of the Pope, together with the bishops. The magisterium is considered as the authentic, authoritative teacher of the Church. When Jesus promised the Church that He would be with us until the end of time, obviously, it cannot be merely with the individual but the Church as a whole, led by the apostles and their successors.
Indeed, if obedience is lacking today, it is because faith is lacking. This is the cause of disobedience at every strata of life. Today, obedience to authority is no longer taken seriously, even in priestly and religious life. Everybody trusts only in his or her opinions and claims to have personal revelation from God. There is a distrust in authority because of scandals and corruption. So, whilst it is understandable why people have lost faith in authority, none of us must lose faith in Christ. We must hold fast to the promise of Christ that He will somehow protect His Church from the Evil One. Hence, obedience requires us to surrender in faith even when we do not understand.
Faith in Christ can overcome all things. Christ will protect His Church. This was the faith of Peter in Christ. We read how the Lord sent an angel to deliver him from his enemies. The angel set him free from his chains and led him out into safety. It was such a miraculous event that caught Peter by surprise. So, too, the Lord came to Paul’s aid in his trials. “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.” So we might suffer a temporary setback and have to deal with some scandals affecting the Church. But we can be sure that the Lord will also set us back and lead us forward to the future with even greater zeal and growth in holiness and in strength.
But Peter and Paul’s faith in Christ is not limited to being delivered only in this life but in the life to come. Although their lives ended in death, they knew that even death could not overcome them because the last word is life eternal. Life and love will triumph over death and hatred. That was why they were also not afraid of death. St Paul was confident of final victory, which is even more important than temporary victory. He wrote, “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.”
As we celebrate the Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, we are called to imitate them for they are the pillars of the Church. Like them, we are called to be faithful to the Lord even unto death. St Peter was ever ready to witness to the Lord even when threatened with imprisonment by King Herod and the Jews. St Paul, too, spoke of his life as a libation offered for Christ and the Church. He wrote, “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.” Both Peter and Paul gave their life for Christ and His Church. Both were martyred in Rome.
If we want to have the same courage and fidelity to Christ, then we need to strengthen our faith in Christ as the Son of the Living God. This faith is given through grace, for the Lord said, “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.” We can only pray for this faith of revelation. But we must, like Ss Peter and Paul, cooperate with His grace given to us, doing all that we can within our strength and then surrender everything else unto the Lord who will complete the task for us.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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