TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
FEAST OF SAINT PIUS X
27 AUGUST 2017
Jesus
leads his disciples to Caesarea Philippi, a regional center of the Roman Empire. The city was built beside a dramatic cliff
face. A famous spring emerged from the
base of the cliff. Before Roman
occupation, the spring had been known as Panias, because it was the center of
worship of pagan gods, especially the god Pan.
To this day, visitors can see carved niches which held the images of the
pagan gods. The city also had political
significance. Herod the Great named it
after his patron, Caesar, who regarded himself as a god. Herod’s son, Philip, changed the name to
Caesarea Philippi, to bring attention to his power and control over the area.
It is here,
where civil governments and pagan gods competed for attention that Jesus asks
his disciples his famous question, “Who do people say that the Son of Man
is?” They give him their Gallup Poll
findings, each one identifying him with a dead prophet from the past. But Jesus is more interested in their
opinion, who they think he is. Simon Peter blurts out the correct answer, identifying
him as the Christ, which literally means “the anointed one.” In other words, Peter asserts that they
cannot depend on the pagan gods to save them.
Nor will Caesar or any of his regional allies save them. When Simon Peter adds to that title “the Son
of the living God,” he identifies the true nature of the teacher to whom he has
dedicated his life.
Jesus
points out that Peter could never have figured out his identity on his
own. He says that his heavenly Father
has revealed his identity to Peter. And
so, he changes his name. He is no longer
Simon, but Peter (Petrus – rock). On
this rock (Petra), he will build his church.
And he gives to Peter the keys to the kingdom. Peter will use those keys for the good of the
Church. We see those keys pictured in the image of Saint Peter on our triumphal
arch. Those keys will open the gates to
eternity. The way to eternity will not
be through the cave at Caesarea Philippi, but through the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Today we
celebrate our patronal feast, who was one of the successors of Saint Peter
(pictured on the other side). Unlike
Shebna, who used the keys to the king’s palace for his own good, Pope Saint
Pius X used the keys of his office for the good of the Church over a hundred
years ago. In fact, he complained to his
friends about how they fussed over him and dressed him up with finery after he
was elected Pope. Today we ask his
intercession, as we answer that same question of Jesus, which is addressed to
us. Like the disciples who gathered at
Caesarea Philippi, we also live with forces competing for our allegiance. The false gods today are more subtle than the
pagan god, Pan. Those gods might be
wealth, or fame, or glamour, or pleasure.
All pagan gods promise ultimate happiness or success. Political leaders make all kinds of promises,
telling us that our complete allegiance to them will bring happiness or
success.
Just by
gathering here at Mass on our feast day, we are acknowledging that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the living God. Some
of us had a great time at Casino Night, and we will enjoy each other’s company
at the picnic this afternoon. The real
challenge for us is to proclaim the identity of Jesus Christ outside of this
church building. We don’t have to carry
signs or stand on street corners and harangue people. All we have to do is to live our faith – to
show others by our actions that love is stronger than hate, that putting
ourselves last is the way to become first, and that dying to ourselves will
give us a share in the rising of Jesus Christ.
Now that we are becoming accustomed to our new church, now is the time
for us to realize our status as the Church of Jesus Christ and engage people to
join us. We remain as members of his
Church, because we trust his promise that the gates of the netherworld will not
prevail against us.
No comments:
Post a Comment