Papal Homilies
“And You, Who Do You Say I Am?”
23 August 2020 | Saint Peter’s Square
21st Sunday of Year A
Today, we hear Jesus’ question directed to each one of us: ‘And you, who do you say I am?’. To each one of us. And each one of us must give not a theoretical answer, but one that involves faith, that is, life, because faith is life! ‘For me you are …’ and then to confess Jesus. An answer that demands from us too, as from the first disciples, inward listening to the voice of the Father and consonance with what the Church, gathered around Peter, continues to proclaim. It is a matter of understanding who Christ is for us: whether he is the centre of our life, whether he is the goal of our commitment in the Church, of our commitment in society. Who is Jesus Christ for me? Who is Jesus Christ for you, for you, for you …? An answer that we should give every day.
But beware: it is indispensable and praiseworthy that the pastoral care of our communities be open to the many forms of poverty and plights that are everywhere. Charity is always the high road of the journey of faith, of the perfection of faith. But it is necessary that works of solidarity, the works of charity that we carry out, not divert us from contact with the Lord Jesus. Christian charity is not simple philanthropy but, on the one hand, it is looking at others through the very eyes of Jesus and, on the other hand, it is seeing Jesus in the face of the poor. This is the true path of Christian charity, with Jesus at the centre, always. May Mary Most Holy, blessed because she believed, be our guide and model on the path of faith in Christ, and make us aware that trust in him gives full meaning to our charity and to all our existence.
The Church Always Needs to be Reformed, Repaired
27 August 2017 | Saint Peter’s Square
21st Sunday of Year A
With us too, today, Jesus wants to continue building his Church, this house with solid foundations but where cracks are not lacking, and which is in constant need of repair. Always. The Church always needs to be reformed, repaired. We certainly do not feel like rocks, but only like small stones. However, no small stone is useless; indeed, in Jesus’ hands the smallest stone becomes precious, because he picks it up, gazes at it with great tenderness, fashions it with his Spirit, and positions it in the right place that he had always had in mind and where it can be more useful to the whole structure. Each of us is a small stone, but in Jesus’ hands participates in the building of the Church. And all of us, as small as we are, are rendered “living stones” because when Jesus takes his stone in hand, he makes it his own; he infuses it with life, full of life, full of life from the Holy Spirit, full of life from his love. And thus we have a place and a mission in the Church: she is a community of life, made up of very many stones, all different, which form a single edifice as a sign of fraternity and communion.
Moreover, today’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus also wanted Peter as a visible centre of communion for his Church — he too, is not a great stone; he is a small stone, but taken up by Jesus, he becomes the centre of communion — in Peter and in those who would succeed him in the same responsibility of primacy, who since the beginning have been identified as the Bishops of Rome, the city where Peter and Paul bore witness in blood.
Is Your Faith Good?
24 August 2014 | Saint Peter’s Square
21st Sunday of Year A
This Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mt 16:13-20) is a well-known passage, central to Matthew’s account, in which Simon, on behalf of the Twelve, professes his faith in Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God”; and Jesus calls Simon “blessed” for this faith, recognizing in him a special gift of the Father, and tells him: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”.
Let us pause on this very point, on the fact that Jesus gives Simon this name, “Peter”, which in Jesus’ language is pronounced “Kefa”, a word which means “rock”. In the Bible this term, “rock”, refers to God. Jesus gives it to Simon not because of his character or for his merits as a human, but for his genuine and steadfast faith, which comes to him from above.
Jesus feels great joy in his heart because, in Simon, he recognizes the hand of the Father, the work of the Holy Spirit. He recognizes that God the Father has given Simon “steadfast” faith on which He, Jesus, can build his Church, meaning his community, that is, all of us. Jesus intends to give life to “his” Church, a people founded no longer on heritage, but on faith, which means on the relationship with Him, a relationship of love and trust. The Church is built on our relationship with Jesus. And to begin his Church, Jesus needs to find solid faith, “steadfast” faith in his disciples. And it is this that He must verify at this point of the journey.
The Lord has in mind a picture of the structure, an image of the community like a building. This is why, when he hears Simon’s candid profession of faith, he calls him a “rock”, and declares his intention to build his Church upon this faith.
Brothers and sisters, what happened in a unique way in St Peter, also happens in every Christian who develops a sincere faith in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Today’s Gospel passage also asks each of us, is your faith good? Each one answer in his or her heart. Is my faith good? How does the Lord find our hearts? A heart that is firm as a rock, or a heart like sand, that is doubtful, diffident, disbelieving? It will do us good to think about this throughout the day today. If the Lord finds in our heart, I don’t say a perfect, but sincere, genuine faith, then He also sees in us living stones with which to build his community. This community’s foundation stone is Christ, the unique cornerstone. On his side, Peter is the rock, the visible foundation of the Church’s unity; but every baptized person is called to offer Jesus his or her lowly but sincere faith, so that He may continue to build his Church, today, in every part of the world.
Even today, so many people think Jesus may be a great prophet, knowledgeable teacher, a model of justice…. And even today Jesus asks his disciples, that is, all of us: “Who do you say that I am?”. What do we answer? Let us think about this. But above all, let us pray to God the Father, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary; let us pray that He grant us the grace to respond, with a sincere heart: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. This is a confession of faith, this is really “the Creed”. Let us repeat it together three times: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”
SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Pope Benedict XVI
Two Different Ways of Knowing Christ
21 August 2011 | Cuatro Vientos Air Base, Madrid (World Youth Day Mass)
21st Sunday of Year A
The Gospel we have just heard (cf. Mt 16:13-20) suggests two different ways of knowing Christ. The first is an impersonal knowledge, one based on current opinion. When Jesus asks: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”, the disciples answer: “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets”. In other words, Christ is seen as yet another religious figure, like those who came before him. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with what is the first confession of faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. Faith is more than just empirical or historical facts; it is an ability to grasp the mystery of Christ’s person in all its depth.
Yet faith is not the result of human effort, of human reasoning, but rather a gift of God: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven”. Faith starts with God, who opens his heart to us and invites us to share in his own divine life. Faith does not simply provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings, to God’s self-revelation. So Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I am?”, is ultimately a challenge to the disciples to make a personal decision in his regard. Faith in Christ and discipleship are strictly interconnected.
And, since faith involves following the Master, it must become constantly stronger, deeper and more mature, to the extent that it leads to a closer and more intense relationship with Jesus. Peter and the other disciples also had to grow in this way, until their encounter with the Risen Lord opened their eyes to the fullness of faith.
Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles: “Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me”.
Jesus’ responds to Peter’s confession by speaking of the Church: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”. What do these words mean? Jesus builds the Church on the rock of the faith of Peter, who confesses that Christ is God.
The Church, then, is not simply a human institution, like any other. Rather, she is closely joined to God. Christ himself speaks of her as “his” Church. Christ cannot be separated from the Church any more than the head can be separated from the body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). The Church does not draw her life from herself, but from the Lord.
Dear young friends, as the Successor of Peter, let me urge you to strengthen this faith which has been handed down to us from the time of the Apostles. Make Christ, the Son of God, the centre of your life. But let me also remind you that following Jesus in faith means walking at his side in the communion of the Church. We cannot follow Jesus on our own. Anyone who would be tempted to do so “on his own”, or to approach the life of faith with that kind of individualism so prevalent today, will risk never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up following a counterfeit Jesus.
Having faith means drawing support from the faith of your brothers and sisters, even as your own faith serves as a support for the faith of others. I ask you, dear friends, to love the Church which brought you to birth in the faith, which helped you to grow in the knowledge of Christ and which led you to discover the beauty of his love. Growing in friendship with Christ necessarily means recognizing the importance of joyful participation in the life of your parishes, communities and movements, as well as the celebration of Sunday Mass, frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and the cultivation of personal prayer and meditation on God’s word.
Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him known to others. So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy of your faith. The world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God. I think that the presence here of so many young people, coming from all over the world, is a wonderful proof of the fruitfulness of Christ’s command to the Church: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). You too have been given the extraordinary task of being disciples and missionaries of Christ in other lands and countries filled with young people who are looking for something greater and, because their heart tells them that more authentic values do exist, they do not let themselves be seduced by the empty promises of a lifestyle which has no room for God.
SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Pope St. John Paul II
HOME PAGE
CATHOLIC CULTURE
LIBRARY COLLECTION
(1979-2006)
Holy See Homily Notes
Theme of Readings
Peter as the Rock and Servant of His Church
The figure of Peter, confessing Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, fills the liturgical scene of this Sunday. Jesus designates him the rock of the Church, giving him the keys of the Kingdom and entrusting him with the power to bind and loose (Gospel). In the first reading we are told about Eliakim, chosen by God to be the servant of the palace during the time of King Hezekiah, which foreshadows Peter. “He will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah. I shall place the key of David’s palace on his shoulder.” In the second reading, Saint Paul is astonished by God’s unfathomable judgment and his inscrutable way of dealing with the People of Israel. In narrating the Gospel text, the liturgy invites us to admire and be astonished before the great mystery of God’s choice of Peter as the Rock and Servant of his Church.
P. Antonio Izqeuirdo, L.C., Copyright © Dicastery for the Clergy
Doctrinal Messages
“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (Mt 16: 18)
In the Old Testament, the symbol of the Rock applies to Yahweh, “He only is my rock” (Ps 62: 2). In the New Testament, Paul attributes this symbol to Christ: “For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11). According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus attributes that symbol to Peter. There is no contradiction in the plurality of symbols. God is the only solid foundation of our security and faith. To reveal himself to us as such, he established the Church, whose invisible foundation is Jesus Christ. Peter, by the mysterious will of Christ, is the visible foundation upon which the building of the Church is erected. As Peter is only the representative of a divine foundation, we can understand the Lord’s promise: “And the powers of death shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16: 19). No power, however obscure and dark it may be, can ever destroy God, and therefore the Church, of which God is the true foundation, will always remain secure.
P. Antonio Izqeuirdo, L.C., Copyright © Dicastery for the Clergy
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 16: 19)
Peter receives from Christ the power and authority over the Church, as Eliakim received the keys of David’s palace. There is only one steward. That is why his authority is unique and exclusive. “He shall open, and none shall shut; and shall shut, and none shall open” (Is 22: 22). He is steward and father at the same time. “He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah” (Is 22: 21). He must imitate God in his role as father. “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5: 48). Therefore, he is a steward whose authority is oriented towards serving the family of God and is governed by love. He offers everyone the best way to serve the good and the truth.
P. Antonio Izqeuirdo, L.C., Copyright © Dicastery for the Clergy
“Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16: 19)
Peter is the interpreter authorized to carry out God’s plan in the often entangled vicissitudes of history. What he “binds or looses” does not respond to a natural or emotional inclination, but rather to an extraordinary will of faithfulness and obedience to God, who has charged him with this task. This is a great mystery, as we are reminded of in the second reading. These are human decisions affecting the life of other people, but they are decisions that originate and spring from God himself.
P. Antonio Izqeuirdo, L.C., Copyright © Dicastery for the Clergy
Pastoral Suggestions
Confidence in the Rock
We do not create the rock of our faith; it is God who gives it to us. This visible and human rock is the Pope. Having confidence in the rock, in essence, means trusting him who has given it to us. By the same token, not having confidence in the rock or dismissing it, at least in certain things and in certain cases, diminishing our confidence in God who has designated Peter and his successors as such. If our confidence in the rock staggers, perhaps this may be due to the fact that we focus our gaze and our attention on the man performing such a function. Instead we should direct our gaze towards God who is the guarantor of the solidity and strength of the rock. Do we, as priests, have such firm confidence in Peter and his successors? And what about our parishioners? What can we do to increase their confidence in the Holy Father, in his person, in his teachings, and in his decisions?
P. Antonio Izqeuirdo, L.C., Copyright © Dicastery for the Clergy
Love and obedience to the Pope
He is the father of all Christians, who loves and embraces everyone. Love breeds love. He is the rock of truth, which instills in us an unyielding security. Truth calls for assent and acceptance. It calls one to live enlightened by it. He is the steward of the Church, always ready to serve it in the best possible way. The attitude of service requires recognition and gratitude. He is the genuine interpreter of God’s revelation and plan. This vocation requires humility, docility and supernatural obedience of all Christians. He is a mystery of God, which goes beyond our human capabilities. Before this mystery we can only take on a generous and joyful attitude of faith and filial love. In a society so critical of authority, a wonderful service which we priests could provide would be to promote love, confidence, and obedience to the Holy Father, to his teachings, and to his exhortations. How can I help to achieve this is in my parish or in my community?
P. Antonio Izqeuirdo, L.C., Copyright © Dicastery for the Clergy