https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082326.cfm
We Are A Lot Like St. Peter
Marathon bike races are popular in Florida. Officials use cones to guide bikers to the finish line, and departing from the route means they won’t reach it. So, what’s the point of racing if bikers ignore directions?
We are blessed in the Church to have a guide to get us to the finish line (heaven – eternal bliss). That guarantee on earth is Jesus in St. Peter, our Rock, who withstands all the storms through the centuries that bash against us. Did you notice we are still around? “The gates of Hell, Jesus promised, will never prevail against it. This grace-filled Rock is in all of Peter’s successors, the popes.
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the Rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the Rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7).
But sometimes we think we have a better idea than Jesus. We are like Peter, who did not want Jesus to go to the cross and suffer. Jesus told Peter that he thought not as God thinks but as human beings do.
It reminds me of what God said through the prophet: “My ways are not your ways, and My thoughts are not your thoughts. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
People and groups continue to challenge our Lord’s authority in Peter and his successors. This grace in the Catholic Church has outlasted schisms, reformations, and even Mass exoduses from practicing the Faith God gave us in His Son. Is it worth seeking our own way when there is only one Way (Jesus) to heaven?
We may not agree with everything the Holy Father teaches. Remember, we are not following a man. We are following Jesus. This demands trust. Sometimes, Jesus leads us where we don’t want to go. So, he gave us the Rock. “Whatever you declare on earth is declared in heaven.”
The cones are there for only one reason – to keep us on the narrow road to life. The next most extraordinary grace after martyrdom is obedience. Holy Obedience keeps us in the cones.
When we surrender our will to Jesus, the floodgates of heaven’s blessings and challenges fill our lives, moment by moment. We may not know where we are going, but Jesus does. We follow Him. Jesus said to His followers, “Blessed are your eyes because they see these things.”
Gospel Challenge:
The Catholic Church is our greatest friend, keeping us faithful to Jesus and leading us to heaven. We have her teaching and Sacraments. What will it take to get back on course if we have strayed? There is only one hand we can grasp to keep us from sinking. Reach out to His Hand if you need absolution.
Peace everyone.
Love Your Neighbor!
Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com
