The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, August 4, 2005
The Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
St. John Mary Vianney, priest

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Numbers 20:1-13
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Matthew 16:13-23

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"Blessed are you, Simon [Peter], for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:17)

Saint Paul tells us that "In him [God] we live and move and have our being." In other words, God is the very environment in which all of creation exists. He is an infinite ocean of love and truth encompassing all reality, both physical and spiritual, keeping everything in Him in being. Yet, not all of humanity acknowledges their origin in a divine Source of Life. Many are so attracted to and entrapped by the physical world that they grow insensitive to the spiritual reality that we are gifted with a soul and spirit that enable us to live in communion with our Creator who made us to participate in and reflect His goodness.

Today's Gospel illustrates this principle when Jesus searches His disciples' hearts by asking them, "Who do people say I am?" Only Peter, without hesitation, dismissed mere opinions and identified Jesus as the Son of the living God, their awaited Messiah. Jesus calls Peter "blessed;" since his being attuned to God's Spirit enabled him to perceive this truth. Jesus then entrusted His Church to Peter, a man truly committed to Christ, to the One whom he recognized as personifying, bearing within Himself, God's love and truth.

Yet, we are also shown that even those sensitive to God and receptive to His Word may suffer brief lapses in faith such as when Peter tried to persuade Jesus to avert danger. Christ's strong correction of His apostle Peter, is assurance that in those times when our finite minds blind us to God's larger purposes, He will save us from falling into error provided we are humble enough to accept correction.

Blessed Source of all,
gentle our human spirits
and enable us to receive Your love and truth.
May we then be living witnesses of Your holy Life.
Amen.

- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at earthlink dot net)

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