1 Peter 5:1-4
Beloved: I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow
presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in
the glory to be revealed. 2 Tend the flock of God in your midst, [overseeing]
not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit
but eagerly. 3 Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to
the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the
unfading crown of glory.
Psalm 23 assures us where the road of God’s love will lead
us because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept
the love of the Good Shepherd. When I was a young child, I used to sing and
imagine the scenario in the psalm reading for today. Psalm 23 has a Tagalog
song version in the Philippines entitled, “Ang Panginoon ang aking Pastol” I
have always loved singing it because of the very comforting words in the song.
It has always given me an impression that with God on our side nothing can go
wrong and if things seem to look like there is something wrong there is really
nothing to fear for He will always be there to defend and protect. Let us not
stray away from the Lord and always stay in the flock that He cares for. We may
have heard a story of how a lion attacks its prey by separating it from the
flock and once it has cornered it and all alone that's the time it devours it.
It pays to always stay in the flock under the care of our Good Shepherd. We
have to make sure we are not misguided or deceived by a fake shepherd and
really belong to the flock of sheep that Jesus shepherds. If we are just to
read and understand very well every word said in today's psalm then we ought to
find ourselves the most contented and secured person in the whole wide world.
There should be no more room for fear, doubt and anxiety. We've got to develop
the confidence and faith of a person who have truly believed that the Lord is
our shepherd. A sheep without a shepherd doesn’t know where to go and get food.
They just stand there looking dumb and hungry. Today's psalm is a reminder and
great consolation that we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd. He is the
Good Shepherd as stated in today's psalm. He makes us want for nothing more. We
are so caught up with our problems and concerns in life that we become
oblivious of God. We do not see the love of God in the midst of these
disturbing events. In our journey here on earth we are all confronted with the
bitter and harsh realities of life. Let us always remember and never forget
that on top of those realities is the resounding truth and most essential one
that we have a Good Shepherd. We should praise and thank God for those
experiences although difficult served as an inspiration which we could hold on
to at times when things do not turn out right. We can be assured that
everything is in control although there is really a need to go through a so
called "dark valley" of our lives in order for us to be fully aware
that we have a God who looks after our welfare no matter how things turn out
unexpectedly and not according to what we have in mind. We always have to
believe that in the end, God is always on our side to give us the courage to
carry on and find that God got us covered. There is one thing sure if we hold
on to God as a sheep to the Good Shepherd, we will never be disappointed. The
words of God in today's readings give us an assurance that He is always there
for us. He said it and He means it then so be it. There is nothing more He
could possibly mean when He said that He is the Good Shepherd other than He
cares for us. He never forsakes nor abandons any single one of His flock.
Sometimes we are confronted with situations that push us to the limits and thus
we give way. This should never be the case at any single time. We should not
entertain the option that is clearly not pleasing to the Lord even beyond the
point of maximum tolerance. We may find ourselves able to resist up to a
certain extent only. Thus when the tough gets really tough we would suddenly
find ourselves shifting our loyalty. We only find ourselves proclaiming God in
our life when situations are favorable. It's such a pity if we would ever come
to this point where almost everybody in this world found themselves comfortably
positioned. We can easily change positions when things get uncomfortable and
easily turn our backs on what is ultimately God’s will for us. As in Rev. 3:16,
So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my
mouth. It is time to make a stand and know which side we really are rather than
continue making excuses and justifications. We must not doubt God's ability to
be the Good Shepherd that He really is
to us and trust Him rather than ourselves to carry out the plan He has for
us. Just like this old adage,
"Never put the law into your hands." We should not take away God's
plan from His hands into ours and act like we know better. If there's someone who
could perfectly carry out this plan for our lives then that is no other than
God Himself. Nothing could be more perfect than entrusting our life in God's
hands. Just try to imagine ourselves right now, as is, where is with all our
cares and problems in this world. Then try to paint another picture, this time
with God as the Good Shepherd that tends the sheep, then picture ourselves as
that sheep that the Lord tends. Be still for a moment and try to absorb and
allow to sink in the words in the responsorial psalm. In God's loving embrace
we are secured and satisfied that there is nothing we stand in need of. If the
Lord is our shepherd who could ask for more? Goodness and love pursue us all
the days of our life. For as long we're sure that the Lord Jesus is indeed the
shepherd who leads us and whom we follow then there is no doubt about this. We
should thank the Lord for our daily assurances, confirmation and in all
circumstances. God will never allow us to go hungry and will always give us
what we need and even more. God is a generous God that when we're feeling
hungry or in need of something He is always there to provide, all we have to do
is trust Him in His ways, as He has promised. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant
pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes
my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I
walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod
and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in
the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only
goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the
house of the LORD for years to come.
At this point in my life as a Catholic, I should say that I have come to appreciate our faith now more than ever. Considering all of these things happening and the fact that today is the Feast of the Holy Chair. Read on in this article of Fr. Rudy Horst in Sabbath.
A Holy Chair?
Somebody asked me once on February 22, “Father, since when did we venerate chairs as saints? Isn’t that idolatry?”
Don’t laugh! It’s a very good question. Does a chair become holy because St. Peter used to sit on it? Did he in his time actually have a special chair? Probably not. So, what is today’s feast all about?
The ancient Romans celebrated on February 22 the festival of “Parentalia.” It was a day when the ancestors were remembered — as we do today on November 2, All Souls Day. During the celebration, usually a meal, a chair was decorated to represent and honor the dead. In other words, not the chair was honored or venerated but the deceased person(s) the chair represents. For the Christian community in Rome, Peter was without doubt the most important ancestor and so this feast became part of the liturgical calendar.As you know very well, Peter was not a hero from the beginning even though he was able to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, which Jesus saw as a special inspiration from God. But he denied Jesus. Peter also was not near the Cross. And when we read the Acts of the Apostles carefully together with the letters of St. Paul, we can see that Peter had difficulties to stand up for what he believed in.
There is a nice legend about Peter and a small church in Rome commemorates the event. During the persecution Peter got scared — again. So he left Rome and outside the city he met the Lord. “Quo vadis, Domine?” he asked, “Where are you going, Lord?” And Jesus answered, “I go to Rome to be crucified in your stead.” Ashamed, Peter turned around and was arrested. When he was about to be crucified he asked to hang there upside down because he did not feel worthy of dying the same way his beloved Master died.
It is never too late to become a hero of faith. It might not be death that makes us finally heroes; it may be a situation when we have to stand up for our faith, for our Christian values and convictions. May we not miss that most important moment – as St. Peter did not miss it. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
Reflection Question:
Do I pray regularly for the successor of St. Peter? Do I prepare myself in prayer for that moment when courage is demanded from me to defend my faith?
Lord, today I pray for the successor of St. Peter, our Holy Father. May he have the strength and courage to guide Your Church through difficult times and guide us without fear. Amen.
-end of his article-
Aren't we glad that
today's gospel assures us that we have a Church built by Jesus Christ and
nothing can prevail against it? We can actually learn a lot from Sts. Peter and
Paul and their example. Both were very committed to our Lord. They were willing
to leave everything behind and follow Him. They both lived out the cross of Jesus.
We see the recognition of St. Peter in today's gospel which shows that he is
very committed to our Lord and followed Him. Peter's proclamation of the truth
made him a solid foundation of the Church that not even the gates of hell shall
prevail against it. As members of the Church that is founded on solid rock may
we become like Peter always ready and confident in announcing the truth about
God. Although there is a series of problems despite this commitment, Peter was
the one who told Jesus not to talk about His dying and being crucified in
Jerusalem and got told, "Satan, get behind me." He was also the one
in the Garden of Gethsemane after a series of important events like the
transfiguration with James and John and the raising of Jairus' daughter, cut off
the ear of the high priest servant with such impetuosity but also the one who
denied Christ 3x. St. Paul was also a
man who made a serious commitment to Christ. He has a Roman citizenship and
came from the tribe of Benjamin. He came from an affluent family that he was
educated under the supervision of this prominent teacher, Gamaliel. St Paul
mentioned in the scriptures that he was a persecutor of the Church but was
converted to Christ. With true humility he recognized how bad he really was and
doesn't deserve the favors that Christ has given him. He was willing to talk
about his failures. We look at Peter and Paul who both gave a testimony of
their blood for the gospel. They preferred to be executed and tormented rather
than change their testimony. In doing this they both highlight something else
especially St. Peter. This is the kind of man that is chosen. He is very much
the man like each one of us. We can also make the best choice that is presented
to us. We must recognize that our lives have to be a life of dying to
ourselves. This is something that we could learn from and be the Lord's
instrument for the redemption of our world. Praise and thank God for sending
not only angels but also saints to the rescue. Let us try to remove all
obstacles in our path. This reminds me of Sister Loreta's garden in Walnut. I
am so impressed at how it looks like. Despite the scorching heat of the sun
during summer time her garden remains beautiful. It is does not dry up. I found
out from her that whenever the gardener comes to mow her lawn she will
immediately water it while the roots are exposed. Just like in our life we
really have to cut off or remove excess baggage or useless garbage in us that
prevents us from making the garden of our life emerge in full bloom. Funny, how
we sometimes find ourselves saying one thing this minute and then another thing
the next. Just like Peter in today's gospel, we witnessed the sudden shift when
in the first part of the gospel, Jesus
was commending him for having professed a truth that can not be revealed
through flesh and blood but through our Heavenly Father. But in the latter
part, Jesus rebuked him for behaving otherwise. This tells us that no matter
how totally unreliable we are, at times. God does not give up on us. He continues
to shower us with grace and mercy and it is all up to us if we will respond
with faith and humility the way Peter did who persevered despite of all the
struggles until the last hour. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 16:13-19
...He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon
Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus
said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you,
you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the
netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the
kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
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