I was blessed to attend "The Footprints of God: Journey through Salvation History," a three-day talk by Catholic apologist Steve Ray, author of Crossing the Tiber. He and his wife Janet came to visit the Philippines last July (2010). I picked up numerous gems of knowledge during those talks and I would like to share one with you because it is related to today's gospel reading from Matthew 16:13-23.
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"14
Steve Ray studied not only scripture but the holy land itself and in this region of Caesarea Philippi there is a huge rock whose cave entrance was believed to be the gates to Hades, the entrance to the netherworld or hell. Various niches can be found outside the cave. Pagans worshiped gods there, including Caesar Augustus and Pan.
Jesus took his disciples there for a purpose, an object lesson.
Imagine you are one of the disciples, sitting outside the "gates of hell" and Jesus is asking "Who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." 17
This is a bold declaration made in a place considered sacred by a world that does not recognize the true God but worships a pantheon of gods. I haven't been to the holy land so googling images would have to do. I found the images at this site quite compelling.
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." 18
Wow! This just leaps off the page for me now in a way it has not before. And I feel so blessed to be Catholic. For God promised the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against his Church... so we remain standing even after 2000 years. Simon, the fallible man, has become Peter, the teaching authority of Christ's Church, and this office is made infallible by the will of God, which comes down to us as the pope, the apostolic successor of Peter's keys.
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.20
Apologists far more articulate than me explain it better here.
At this place where Pan, the god of sheep, is worshiped, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, takes Peter and makes him deputy shepherd. Peter will be tasked to feed his lambs, tend his sheep, and feed his sheep (John 21:15-18) after Jesus ascends to his Father.
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This was first published as a note in Facebook on August 10, 2010, so I kept that date here. As a blog on my journey to appreciating my Catholic faith more, I thought it was appropriate to begin it with Peter, the rock. This also explains the choice of title.
Lord, I write in vain if you are not the the writer of this blog. May your Holy Spirit guide all posts. I dedicate this blog to you. Please use it for your glory, in accordance with your holy will. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Postscript: June 29, 2013
Today's Gospel Reading is again from Matthew 16:13-19...
While looking for articles related to prophetic literature last semester, I came across "Majestic Mount Hermon" by Michael Patella, OSB, in The Bible Today (March/April 2011), pp. 99-101.
It gives a vivid description of snow-capped Mount Hermon: "Geologically the surface of the mountain consists of karst limestone," which allows snowmelt to sink into natural fissures, form into underground streams, and become the water source for the Jordan River (p. 99)--which "became a place of veneration where various pagan cults built shrines and held rituals" (p.101), also known as Caesarea Philippi...
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