June 29, 2013
Saturday – Year of Faith –
Ordinary Time
Solemnity
of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
by
Rev. Fr. Matthieu Dauchez
6:30AM
Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
Reading 1 Acts 12:1-11
In
those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that
this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the
feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him
before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but
prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.
On the
very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double
chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept
watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light
shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up
quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your
belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and
follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening
through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the
first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the
city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an
alley, and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and
from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (5)
The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
I will
bless the LORD at all times;
his
praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my
soul glory in the LORD;
the
lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The
angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Glorify
the LORD with me,
let us
together extol his name.
I
sought the LORD, and he answered me
and
delivered me from all my fears.
R. The
angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Look to
him that you may be radiant with joy,
and
your faces may not blush with shame.
When
the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and
from all his distress he saved him.
R. The
angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
The
angel of the LORD encamps
around
those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste
and see how good the LORD is;
blessed
the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The
angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Reading 2 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18
I,
Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure
is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the
faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the
just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who
have longed for his appearance.
The
Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation
might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from
the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring
me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Mt 16:13-19
When
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do
people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist,
others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them,
“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.” 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. 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. 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.”
HOMILY
My dear brother and sisters, Jesus
did not focus on the weakness of men. He had spiritual focus, which are already
exclusive to God, like forgiving the sins of men, for example, through
confession. Following the will of His father, Jesus remained holy. And this is
the Church. And it is really important for us to make a difference between the
Church, where we find Jesus Himself, which is divine and holy, and His
disciples who are part of the Church, especially the head of the Church, who
are so weak and remained so weak. We could even say that the Church is all
the more divine, since its disciples are weak. The victory of Christ rests on
what is weak.
Today, we are celebrating the
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the pillars of the Church. We should
rejoice because Jesus comes from heaven to look on its lowly servant, which is
the Church. Amen.
