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tipsycad147 · 3 years ago

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How to see the spirit world

by Crimsonwolf

During the dreaming state of sleep, we experience the different levels of consciousness and receive input from the different dimensions of the spirit world. Through dreaming, we have special access to our spirit within. According to the Edgar Cayce readings, there is not a question we can ask which cannot be answered from the depths of our inner consciousness when the proper attunement is made.

A dream may be of a physical, mental, or spiritual nature and may deal with all manner of psychic manifestations. These include telepathy, clairvoyance, prophetic visions, out-of-body traveling, remembrance of past lives, communication with beings in other dimensions, including deceased friends and relatives, spirit guides, angels, Christ, and even the voice of God. Dreams can also give invaluable information on the status of the body.

All subconscious minds are in contact with one another. Through the subconscious, dreams may place us in attunement with those in the physical plane or those in the spiritual plane. We may be visited in the night by discarnate entities for many reasons: they may seek to give us assurance about their well-being in other planes of existence; they may come seeking our aid through prayer; they may come to bring us information which may be very helpful or limited; or they may come to influence us with their own desires or perspectives, which may be helpful or harmful. For example, there are dream reports of deceased relatives appearing and giving instructions about where to find a will or other lost objects.

The events we experience in the third dimension are, as it were, a "past condition" because this dimension is simply a projection or a reflection of what is being built at another higher level. Therefore, when we tune into these higher levels, as we may in dreams, we become aware of what is being built, and what may be projected into the physical in the future. Nothing of importance happens to us that is not foreshadowed in our dreams - which is not to say that all dreams are precognitive or that the exact detail of everything we experience is given earlier in dreams. However, the word "foreshadowed" suggests that we may glimpse and be warned of what we are building now which may come into manifestation later. We call these dreams "precognitive" or "prophetic."

Just as the angels spoke to people in dreams in the times of the Bible, the spirit world still speaks to people to this day. Some people came to Edgar Cayce with dreams of Christ. None was told that it was simply his imagination, but all were assured they were indeed in touch with him.

There is no dimension of human life, whether social, financial, emotional or physical, mental or spiritual with which the dream may not on occasion deal. Dreams may encourage or reprimand, instruct or deceive, inspire or seduce, guide or confuse. The potential for an immense array of experiences in consciousness is always there. What we actually receive depends upon our attitudes, motivations, the measure of our attunement, and the extent to which we have made applicable what was received in earlier dreams and in waking experiences.

Many people came to Cayce to have their dreams interpreted. An example was the dream of a young man about his father-in-law, who had recently taken his own life. In the dream a voice commented, "he is the most uncomfortable fellow in the world," and then the dreamer was shown his own baby crying for food. The image was to convey the dead man's hunger for guidance and spiritual sustenance, said Cayce. The next night the dreamer heard the man's own voice, together with "a wandering impression of restlessness." The voice said, "I seek rest. I want to leave and be with my family down there." Again Cayce said the dream contact had been authentic, showing the dreamer how much his prayers were needed for the father-in-law, who was still an "earthbound" discarnate. He added that the reason the discarnate was turning towards people in earthly life was that "the lessons are learned from that plane, see?" It was a point Cayce often made, that souls who had once entered the earth had to learn their final lessons in the earth, where will is called into play in a fashion different from existence on other planes.

Yet, contact between the dead and the living can be joyous. Sometimes it occurs because the dead want to show the living what death is like, to take away their fear and grief. Exploring the possible reality of such contact, one dreamer had her side pinched by a discarnate friend, so vividly that she screamed in fright, while another had his toe pulled when he asked for it - and did not ask again. One dream took a man inside the brain of a woman, a relative who was dying of cancer, and showed him precisely what a relief death was when it finally came. A later dream also showed him how a soul feels when awakening to consciousness after death. Discarnates are not only rewarded by recognition from the living, or even by the joy of teaching the living. They can also, in relatively unusual cases, work directly with the living for the fulfillment of worthy causes.

The dead differ from the living only in this respect: they are in a permanently subconscious state because the conscious mind of the physical body no longer exists. But the body is an expendable shell, and all else is intact. On the astral level of existence, the subconscious mind replaces the conscious mind of the soul, and the superconscious replaces the subconscious.

Hence, in dreams, we find that communication with those who have passed on is more logical than the average person is able to comprehend. The following are more excerpts from spirit communications in dreams as told to Cayce and interpreted:

One man related to Cayce: "Both my mother and father [deceased] came to me and were so glad to see me, but then they told me my sister had committed suicide." Cayce replied in trance: "This dream presents to the entity, through the mother and father both dead, the thoughts being entertained by the sister because of dissatisfaction to meet properly the conditions in her life.

"And as seen, the father and mother depend upon you to so instruct, to so direct, and to so counsel your sister. Give the sister spiritual counsel so that she may better understand, thereby enabling her to grow; otherwise, detrimental experiences will destroy her. Suicide is in her mind. Remember, too, that thoughts are deeds in the mental realm, and they increase or mar the activities of the higher self." [136-70]

A woman related to Cayce this dream: "I dreamed my mother told me I should warn Aunt Helen against an accident between an automobile and a streetcar. My mother then became ill." Cayce replied in trance: "This is a warning. Tell Aunt Helen about it. If she observes the warning, and stays out of automobiles and streetcars until the waning of the moon, it will not happen. Warn her, then, for this is a direct communication from one in the spiritual plane to one in the physical plane. This attunement is made when the conscious mind is subjugated, as in meditation or in sleep, and an attunement with the universal forces is established. This is also an illustration of the ability of those in the spiritual plane to see the future." [136-48]

Perhaps the most common dream experience in spirit communication, according to Cayce, is related by the message which, in essence, says, "I am fine and happy. Your grief, however, is holding me back and making me sad. You can help me greatly by trying to overcome your sorrow. You must stop grieving!"

Here are some tips from the Cayce readings to help you in the analysis of your dreams:

1) Keep a notebook beside the bed. Record your dreams as soon after waking as possible.

2) Suggest to yourself every night as you fall asleep, "I will remember my dreams."

3) If you wake during the night, write down the main symbols, and the entire dream will usually come back in the morning.

4) Practice keen observation in your dreams through self-suggestion prior to sleep.

5) Look for these components in your dreams: the setting, the people, the action, the color, the feeling, and the words.

6) Work on analyzing your dreams every day, otherwise their progression will be difficult to assess.

7) If dreams are illogical, three reasons are possible:

a. Only the fragments of the dream have been recalled.

b. The dream is reflecting something illogical in the dreamer's life.

c. Mental blocks have erased your recall.

8) If you are unable to decipher an important dream, suggest to yourself before your next sleep that the dream repeat itself more clearly.

9) Nightmares, which bring with them an inability to move or cry out, usually indicate the wrong diet. To end the nightmarish dreams, change your diet.

10) Dreams that are unchanged through the years indicate the dreamer's resistance to change.

11) Dreams of ill health can be either literal or symbolic warnings.

12) When a problem confronts you, ask by prayer for guidance to be sent to you through your dreams.

13) Be practical in your interpretations. Always look first for a lesson. What have you refused to face or been ignoring?

14) Observe carefully recurrent dreams, as well as the serially progressive ones. These often illustrate progress or failure.

15) Dreams are the reaction of the inner self to daytime activity and often show the way out of the dilemma. So, relate them to current activity because dreams may be retrospective as well as prospective.

16) Dreams come to guide and help, not to simply amuse. They direct your attention to errors of omission and commission and offer encouragement for right endeavors. They also give us the opportunity to pray for others and to help them bear their burdens.

17) If you receive an unusual message, reduce it to common terms.

18) Look for past-life experiences in your dreams. These manifest themselves not only in color, but in the proper costume and setting of their period. They come to warn you against repeating the same old mistakes; to explain your relationship and reactions to certain people and places; to reduce your confusions; to enable you to better understand life.

19) Do not fear conversation with the so-called "dead" in dreams. If the communication is one-sided, it denotes telepathy. If both participate, it may be an actual encounter of bodiless consciousness.

20) Dreams are primarily about self. Only a few dreams relate to family, friends, and world events.

21) Watch for mental telepathy in dreams.

22) Remember, persistence is necessary to learn any new language, and dream symbols are the forgotten language of the subconscious.

23) Give daily thanks for all things and use daily prayer to improve the quality and reception of your dreams.

https://crimsonwolfe.tripod.com/id38.html

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dailyofficereadings · 5 years ago

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Daily Office Readings October 17, 2019

Psalm 18

Royal Thanksgiving for Victory

To the leader. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of perdition assailed me; 5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 9 He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 10 He rode on a cherub, and flew; he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water. 12 Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire. 13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice.[a] 14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them. 15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but the Lord was my support. 19 He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his ordinances were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. 23 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt. 24 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless; 26 with the pure you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you show yourself perverse. 27 For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. 28 It is you who light my lamp; the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. 29 By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 30 This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

31 For who is God except the Lord? And who is a rock besides our God?— 32 the God who girded me with strength, and made my way safe. 33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer, and set me secure on the heights. 34 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand has supported me; your help[b] has made me great. 36 You gave me a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; and did not turn back until they were consumed. 38 I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. 39 For you girded me with strength for the battle; you made my assailants sink under me. 40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. 41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. 42 I beat them fine, like dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

43 You delivered me from strife with the peoples;[c] you made me head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. 44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. 45 Foreigners lost heart, and came trembling out of their strongholds.

46 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation, 47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me; 48 who delivered me from my enemies; indeed, you exalted me above my adversaries; you delivered me from the violent.

49 For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. 50 Great triumphs he gives to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

Footnotes:

Psalm 18:13 Gk See 2 Sam 22.14: Heb adds hailstones and coals of fire

Psalm 18:35 Or gentleness

Psalm 18:43 Gk Tg: Heb people

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jeremiah 38:1-13

Jeremiah in the Cistern

38 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, 2 Thus says the Lord, Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out to the Chaldeans shall live; they shall have their lives as a prize of war, and live. 3 Thus says the Lord, This city shall surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and be taken. 4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” 5 King Zedekiah said, “Here he is; he is in your hands; for the king is powerless against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Jeremiah Is Rescued by Ebed-melech

7 Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,[a] a eunuch in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. The king happened to be sitting at the Benjamin Gate, 8 So Ebed-melech left the king’s house and spoke to the king, 9 “My lord king, these men have acted wickedly in all they did to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into the cistern to die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,[b] “Take three men with you from here, and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe of[c] the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian[d] said to Jeremiah, “Just put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 13 Then they drew Jeremiah up by the ropes and pulled him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

Footnotes:

Jeremiah 38:7 Or Nubian; Heb Cushite

Jeremiah 38:10 Or Nubian; Heb Cushite

Jeremiah 38:11 Cn: Heb to under

Jeremiah 38:12 Or Nubian; Heb Cushite

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

1 Corinthians 14:26-33

Orderly Worship

26 What should be done then, my friends?[a] When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to someone else sitting nearby, let the first person be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, 33 for God is a God not of disorder but of peace.

(As in all the churches of the saints,

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 14:26 Gk brothers

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

1 Corinthians 14:37-40

37 Anyone who claims to be a prophet, or to have spiritual powers, must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. 38 Anyone who does not recognize this is not to be recognized. 39 So, my friends,[a] be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues; 40 but all things should be done decently and in order.

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 14:39 Gk my brothers

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Matthew 10:34-42

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

#October 17 #2019

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pamphletstoinspire · 6 years ago

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The Church's Year - THE FEAST OF OF SS. PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES. [June 29.]

With Image:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/churchs-year-feast-ss-peter-paul-apostles-june-29-harold-baines/?published=t

PETER, formerly called Simon, from Bethsaida in Galilee, was a son of Jonas and a brother of Andrew, by whom he was brought to Christ. After the great draught of fishes, when our Lord said to him and Andrew: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, Peter followed the Saviour constantly, from whom he received the most tender proofs of love. Peter was present when Christ appeared in His glory on Mount Thabor, when He raised the daughter of Jairus to life, and when He sweat blood in the agony on Mount Olivet. Peter was also present at the miraculous draught of fishes, which was a figure of the multitudes which he was to bring, by means of the holy Gospel, to the kingdom of God, for Christ called him a fisher of men, and afterwards, because Peter recognized and professed Him to be the Son of the living God, Christ named him Peter, made him the head of the apostles and of the entire Church, made him His vicar and visible representative upon earth, promising to build His Church upon him as upon a rock, gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and commanded him to feed His lambs and His sheep. Peter loved our Lord above all things; because of his love he wished to remain with Christ upon Mount Thabor to prevent Him from suffering, and in his love desired to die with Christ. He certainly showed the greatest courage when Christ was taken, following Him even into the house of Caiphas. But alas, the instability of man! There Peter three times denied the Lord. But the look of forgiving love which Jesus .east upon him, forced from him tears of the deepest contrition. He atoned for his denial by suffering much for Christ. Under the Emperor Nero he was crucified for his faith at Rome, and by his own request with his head downwards, because he did not consider himself worthy to die like Christ.

Oh! that all sinners would seek by such penance to turn their evil into good!

PRAYER TO ST. PETER. O God, who from a poor fisherman hast made St. Peter prince of the apostles and head of Thy Church, we beseech Thee through his intercession to make us true lambs of Thy flock. Grant, that we may hear his voice, follow his doctrine, and walk in his steps, until we reach that happy pasture where the Good Shepherd, Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, whom St. Peter represented on earth, reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost forever. Amen.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL

PAUL, before his conversion called Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, was born at Tarsus in Cilicia, and was a pupil of Gamaliel. As he had the most zealous attachment for the Jewish law, he was exasperated against the Christians. However, when hastening to Damascus to persecute them, he was converted by the Lord on the way and called to be an apostle. [See the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.] His unwearied labors in the vineyard of the Lord after his conversion, the sufferings which he endured upon his apostolic journeys, and the dangers and persecutions through which he passed in different countries, cannot be described. The zeal and constancy with which he confessed and preached the faith, though in chains and fetters, though scourged and beaten, in hunger and thirst, and through innumerable dangers, are almost incredible. He was so humble that he regarded himself as the least of the apostles, and thanked God fervently that He considered him worthy to suffer for His sake. After he had fought a good fight and finished his course, having everywhere zealously preached the faith, and still more zealously practiced it, he wpn the crown of justice. On the same day and at the same place in Rome, in which Peter was crucified, he was beheaded, by command of the Emperor Nero. Thus God tries and rewards true virtue. Paul in his life, as after death, worked numberless miracles; even his handkerchief, like St. Peter's shadow, healed sickness and expelled devils. He had so deeply impressed the name of Jesus in his heart, that it was almost continually on his lips, for "out of the fulness of the heart, the mouth speaketh."

Would that we loved Jesus as St. Paul loved Him, then we would, like St. Paul, be ready to do and suffer much for Him.

PRAYER TO ST. PAUL. O St. Paul, chosen vessel of the Lord, who didst carry the name of Jesus to kings and heathens, who didst suffer so much for Christ, and wast never allured from the love of Him: like a brave soldier of Christ, thou hast fought a good battle, a zealous teacher, thou hast preached far and wide the true faith, and the just and merciful God has, therefore, rewarded thee with the crown of justice: pray to God for me, that I who because of my sins am an instrument of wrath, may become an instrument of honor, adorned with the Christian virtues, with which thou art already decorated. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Introit of the Mass consists of Peter's words, spoken after his deliverance from the prison at Jerusalem: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. (Acts xii. 11.) Lord, Thou hast proved me, and known me: Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up. (Ps. cxxxviii.) Glory be to the Father, &c.

COLLECT O God, who hast sanctified this day by the martyrdom of Thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul: grant unto Thy Church, that as from them it received the first teachings of religion, so it may in all things follow their holy precepts. Thro'. &c.

EPISTLE (Acts xii. 1 — 11.) in those days, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict some of the Church: and he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the azymes. And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending after the pasch to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the ^prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the room: and he striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said to him: Gird thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And going out, he followed him, and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but he thought he saw a vision. And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city: which of itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

EXPLANATION I This Herod, a grandson of Herod the Great,, under whom Christ was born, and who murdered the holy Innocents, was a zealous Jew, and to please the Jews persecuted the Christians. He caused Peter to be imprisoned with the intention of having him publicly executed after Easter, for the amusement of the people. — How shameful it is to do wrong, to murder a man in order to amuse others! See how deeply the desire to please can lead into error! Take care to commit no sin for the sake of pleasing others; for he who seeks to please men cannot be a servant of Christ, says the Apostle Paul. II. The Church, that is, the priests and the faithful, prayed to God continually for the liberation of St. Peter, and their prayers were heard. — Let us pray for one another, especially for sinners, that God may free them from the chains of the evil one. III. Peter slept quietly in prison, for his conscience was at peace, and he confided himself to God's protection. — The innocent are calm in every peril and need, the bad alone have no peace. IV. God sent an angel to Peter, who told him to rise quickly, gird himself, put on his sandals, and follow him. — If thy guardian angel warns thee to rise from the sleep of sin, do so at once, return to thyself, like the prodigal son, break the bonds that bind thee to sin, gird thyself with the strong resolution to sin no more, put on thy shoes, that is, make the firm purpose to follow Christ.

(The Gospel as on the Feast of St. Peter's Chair at Rome.)

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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – Who do people say?

“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.”‘

If we call Jesus just a good man or even a great man, we are not giving what is due Him. We are actually insulting Him as anything less than what acknowledges Him as God the Son denies Him and the Truth that we have in Him. Anything which does not give His true and real Being defames His character as God made man.

Jesus is the embodiment of the Father’s unconditional love for us. He is God’s righteousness and faithfulness as He is the Messiah God promised to send us. He is God’s Infinite Wisdom and Perfect Plan for mankind. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth. Jesus is the ultimate atoning sacrifice made for all our sins.

And finally, Jesus is the new covenant relationship with God which gives us the opportunity to experience eternity. His blood established a new covenant and a chance for all men to spend eternity in the presence of God. He is God’s perfect will carried out on the Cross. Jesus is the decisive triumph over eternal condemnation. Jesus is the Anointed One, the Messiah!

Yes, Jesus is the greatest blessing poured out to a world thirsty for the saving grace of the one true God. He is Emmanuel, God with us and nobody can take Him away from us. Jesus is God, the One True God.

As I ventured to respond to the question on Who Jesus is I know that I have endeavored to do the impossible for Jesus is beyond description. But in very simple terms, Jesus is my everything, my all in all, my very life and the very essence of my being.

Jesus, I will never be without You for without You I am nothing! To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG)!

Direction: We ought to know Jesus by giving Him a chance in our lives. Let us make space for Him in our hearts.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, reveal yourself to me more and more through your Son Jesus. In Him, I pray. Amen.

Reflection 2 – The keys of the kingdom of heaven

At an opportune time Jesus tests his disciples with a crucial question: Who do men say that I am and who do you say that I am? He was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty man of God, even being compared with the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah. Peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God. No mortal being could have revealed this to Peter, but only God.

Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), an early church father comments on Peter’s profession of faith in Jesus:

Peter did not say “you are a Christ” or “a son of God” but “the Christ, the Son of God.” For there are many christs [meaning anointed ones] by grace, who have attained the rank of adoption [as sons], but [there is] only one who is by nature the Son of God. Thus, using the definite article, he said, the Christ, the Son of God. And in calling him Son of the living God, Peter indicates that Christ himself is life and that death has no authority over him. And even if the flesh, for a short while, was weak and died, nevertheless it rose again, since the Word, who indwelled it, could not be held under the bonds of death. (FRAGMENT 190)

Jesus plays on Peter’s name which is the same word for “rock” in both Aramaic and Greek. To call someone a “rock” is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: “I have discovered a rock to found the world upon”. Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to recognize Jesus as the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God. The New Testament describes the church as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks or spiritual stones.

Jesus then confers on Peter authority to govern the church that Jesus would build, a church that no powers would overcome because it is founded on the rock which is Christ himself. Epiphanius, a 6th century Scripture scholar who also translated many early church commentaries from Greek into Latin, explains the significance of Jesus handing down the “keys of the kingdom”:

For Christ is a rock which is never disturbed or worn away. Therefore Peter gladly received his name from Christ to signify the established and unshaken faith of the church.… The devil is the gateway of death who always hastens to stir up against the holy church calamities and temptations and persecutions. But the faith of the apostle, which was founded upon the rock of Christ, abides always unconquered and unshaken. And the very keys of the kingdom of the heavens have been handed down so that one whom he has bound on earth has been bound in heaven, and one whom he has set free on earth he has also set free in heaven. (INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 28)

The Lord Jesus offers us the gift of unshakeable faith, enduring hope, and unquenchable love – and the joyful boldness to proclaim him as the one true Savior who brings us the kingdom of God both now and forever. Who do you say he is to yourself and to your neighbor?

“Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are my Lord and my Savior. Make my faith strong like Peter’s and give me boldness to speak of you to others that they may come to know you personally as Lord and Savior and grow in the knowledge of your great love.” – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2018/feb22a.htm

Reflection 3 – Chair of St. Peter

Today’s feast of the chair of Peter celebrates not only the triumph of Christ’s grace in the heart and soul of Peter, but his status as the primary pastor and teacher of the Church. The chair is the symbol of his teaching authority, as it is of every bishop. Peter (d. ca. 64) was Jesus’ chief apostle whom later Catholic tradition regards as the first pope. Born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee, his original Hebrew name was rendered in Greek as Simon, but Jesus gave him a new name, the Aramaic word for “rock” rendered in Greek as Kephas. The name Peter is a translation of the Aramaic word. Sometimes he is referred to in the New Testament as Simon Peter. Peter was married and remained so even after becoming a disciple (Mk 1:29-31; 1 Cor 9:5).

In the gospel today when Jesus asked a question, it was not because He didn’t know the answer. You can be sure He was making a point. Jesus and His disciples were in Caesarea Philippi, away from their own territory. It was a place of idolatry and oppression – a threatening place both politically and spiritually. In this environment, Jesus posed two important questions about the perception of His identity. He wasn’t interested in His popularity rating. He wanted His followers to be sure about the One they were following.

Today our culture is just as hostile and opposed to Jesus as when He first asked the question” “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Mt 16:13). As in Jesus’ day, people offer a long list of inadequate and incorrect ideas about Jesus, ranging from “just a good teacher” all the way to “divisive” and “intolerant.”

The real question was and continues to be: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15). Peter boldly declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). Jesus said that Peter’s accurate confession was a God-given insight and that he was blessed because of his declaration (Mt 16:17).

Join Peter in confessing that Jesus is your Savior. Your life will be bolstered and blessed. “O receive Him today who so loved you that He died on the cross for your sin; O believe Him and open your heart’s door; Let the Savior who loves you come in.” Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (1 Jn 5:1). This is our faith. Only an authentic faith will give us the strength to live out our Christian commitment. As we celebrate the Eucharist, let us pray that our faith, and that of our whole church, may be strengthened.

“Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are my Lord and my Savior. Make my faith strong like Peter and give me boldness to speak of you to others that they may come to know you personally as Lord and Savior and grow in the knowledge of your love.”

Reflection 4 – Whom are you shepherding?

In today’s Gospel passage, we see that Peter had the insight to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and then the Lord called him and commissioned him to shepherd others into the same realization.

We, too, know that Jesus is our Lord and the Good Shepherd as described in Psalm 23. Therefore we, too, are called and commissioned to shepherd the people whom we encounter. We’re to lead them to Christ the way a shepherd herds his flock.

But what about the people who don’t want to be shepherded?

In today’s first reading, Peter tells us how to do it, even when others don’t recognize that it is good to follow Jesus: Be a good example. Don’t lord it over those whom God has placed in your life, because only Jesus is Lord. When people look at us, they should see Jesus — not bad attitudes, not unlovingness, not apathy, not argumentativeness, not depression or doom and gloom, not despair and hopelessness, not materialism, not selfishness.

In other words, we have to put a lot of effort into overcoming our sinful tendencies, because our lives are the Shepherd’s staff, prodding the people around us. We either prod them toward Jesus and his sheepfold, or we push them away from the life that Jesus wants for them.

Sheep follow their shepherd because that’s how they find greener pastures. What have you learned on your spiritual journey that would benefit others? Any oases that Jesus has led you to become places of your expertise. Now, you can shepherd others to the same places. Whom do you know in need of rest from their hardships and healing from their wounds? Shepherd them with what you have learned.

Being a shepherd means you also know about the wolves. Many sheep are totally oblivious to the dangers that lurk, but you have been given the responsibility of guarding against evil. Because Jesus is with you, the wolves can and will be defeated. However, they will only be conquered when you stay close to Jesus.

We cannot successfully lead others to Christ without a good prayer life, knowledge of the scriptures, and ever-growing holiness. And we cannot be good shepherds if we neglect to overcome our sins, because then we’re playing with wolves. We must cover our vulnerabilities with the armor of God by getting right with him and getting rid of any known areas of disobedience.

Being a shepherd is risky. Wolves attack our vulnerabilities. Some of the sheep behave like wolves. And sometimes we need to repent from acting wolfish ourselves.

At the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter by the Sea of Galilee, where today’s Gospel story took place, there’s a sign that says, “The deeds and miracles of Jesus are not actions of the past. Jesus is waiting for those who are still prepared to take risks at His word because they trust His power utterly.”

Pray with me: “Lord Jesus, I say yes to Your calling, no matter how risky it seems. I choose to trust in Your guidance, Your directions. What do You want me to do?” – Read the source: http://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2018-02-22

Reflection 5 – A Fragile Stone

Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” —Matthew 16:16

When writing on the life of Simon Peter, songwriter and author Michael Card described the apostle as “a fragile stone.” It is a term filled with contrast, yet one that aptly describes Peter.

Throughout Peter’s life, we see this contrast lived out as he displayed moments of courage followed by spiritual failure. After his declaration of Christ as the Son of God, Jesus said to him, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). A rock. A stone. Peter, whose name means “a small stone,” proved to be fragile when he tried to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross, and when he denied Him three times after His arrest.

Peter, the “fragile stone,” reminds us that no amount of personal strength or talent can make us adequate for this life and its challenges. Only as we rest in the strength of Christ will we find His provision. When we acknowledge our frailty and dependence on Him, Christ’s strength can empower us for the troubles life throws our way.

Like Peter, we are all “fragile stones.” How grateful we can be for His strength that is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). — Bill Crowder

God uses weakness to reveal His great sufficiency;

So if we let Him work through us, His power we will see. —Sper

Only when we acknowledge our weakness can we be strong in the Lord (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 6 – The Center Of History

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” “Some say John the Baptist,” they answered. Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet. What about you? He asked them. Who do you say I am?” (Mt 16:13-15).

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” —Matthew 16:16

In its biographical archives, The Washington Post identifies famous people with a single vocational notice, such as “home-run king” or “motion-picture star.” According to a reporter, one of these files is marked, “Jesus Christ (martyr).”

Every individual who considers Jesus Christ makes some judgment about Him. French philosopher and historian Ernest Renan said, “All history is incomprehensible without Christ.” American author Ralph Waldo Emerson concluded, “His name is not so much written but plowed into the history of the world.”

Kenneth Scott Latourette, former chairman of the department of religion at Yale Graduate School, wrote, “That short life of Jesus has been the most influential ever lived. Through Him millions have been transformed and have begun to live the life which He exemplified. Gauged by the consequences which have followed, the birth, life, and death and resurrection of Jesus have been the most important events in the history of man.”

What label do you put on Jesus Christ? If you agree that He is who He claimed to be, then let Him who is the center of history be not only the center of your creed but also the object of your loyalty and love. — Haddon W. Robinson

Christ wants to be the center of your life,

The reason for your being here at all;

He gave Himself a sacrifice for you,

And now He waits for you to hear His call. — Hess

Your decision about Jesus determines your destiny (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 7 – The Real Jesus

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. —Matthew 16:16

Who is Jesus? Observing the ways He is portrayed these days, it’s almost impossible to recognize Him as the Jesus of the Bible. Some groups add to what the Bible says about Him, while others diminish Him to simple humanity, claiming that He was merely a wise teacher or a master moralist. Some would like to make Him disappear altogether.

But this is nothing new. It’s been happening for nearly 2,000 years. This reminds me of Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the US Declaration of Independence. He went through the New Testament Gospels with scissors and cut out all references to Jesus’ deity and the supernatural. This is known as The Jefferson Bible. Even recently, people have approached the Gospels in similar ways.

When Jesus asked His 12 disciples what people were saying about who He was, some answers were Elijah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist, but these answers were all inadequate. Peter was correct when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Don’t be deceived by fuzzy, watered down, or false descriptions of Jesus that you read, see, or hear about. Stick to the Bible. When people try to minimize His identity, tell them in no uncertain terms who the real Jesus is! — David C. Egner

All glory to Jesus, begotten of God,

The great I AM is He;

Creator, sustainer—but wonder of all,

The Lamb of Calvary! — Peterson

To know Jesus is to know God (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 8 – The Right Answer

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” —Matthew 16:16

When Jesus asked a question, it was not because He didn’t know the answer. You can be sure He was making a point.

Jesus and His disciples were in Caesarea Philippi, away from their own territory. It was a place of idolatry and oppression—a threatening place both politically and spiritually. In this environment, Jesus posed two important questions about the perception of His identity. He wasn’t interested in His popularity rating. He wanted His followers to be sure about the One they were following.

Today our culture is just as hostile and opposed to Jesus as when He first asked the question: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matt. 16:13). As in Jesus’ day, people offer a long list of inadequate and incorrect ideas about Jesus, ranging from “just a good teacher” all the way to “divisive” and “intolerant.”

The real question was and continues to be: “Who do you say that I am?” (16:15). Peter boldly declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v.16). Jesus said that Peter’s accurate confession was a God-given insight and that he was blessed because of his declaration (v.17).

Join Peter in confessing that Jesus is your Savior. Your life will be bolstered and blessed. — Joe Stowell

O receive Him today who so loved you

That He died on the cross for your sin;

O believe Him and open your heart’s door,

Let the Savior who loves you come in. — Anon.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. —1 John 5:1 (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 9 – Chair of St. Peter

This feast commemorates Christ’s choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church (see June 29).

After the “lost weekend” of pain, doubt and self-torment, Peter hears the Good News. Angels at the tomb say to Magdalene, “The Lord has risen! Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” John relates that when he and Peter ran to the tomb, the younger outraced the older, then waited for him. Peter entered, saw the wrappings on the ground, the headpiece rolled up in a place by itself. John saw and believed. But he adds a reminder: “…[T]hey did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). They went home. There the slowly exploding, impossible idea became reality. Jesus appeared to them as they waited fearfully behind locked doors. “Peace be with you,” he said (John 20:21b), and they rejoiced.

The Pentecost event completed Peter’s experience of the risen Christ. “…[T]hey were all filled with the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4a) and began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them.

Only then can Peter fulfill the task Jesus had given him: “… [O]nce you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). He at once becomes the spokesman for the Twelve about their experience of the Holy Spirit — before the civil authorities who wished to quash their preaching, before the council of Jerusalem, for the community in the problem of Ananias and Sapphira. He is the first to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. The healing power of Jesus in him is well attested: the raising of Tabitha from the dead, the cure of the crippled beggar. People carry the sick into the streets so that when Peter passed his shadow might fall on them.

Even a saint experiences difficulty in Christian living. When Peter stopped eating with Gentile converts because he did not want to wound the sensibilities of Jewish Christians, Paul says, “…I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong…. [T]hey were not on the right road in line with the truth of the gospel…” (Galatians 2:11b, 14a).

At the end of John’s Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). What Jesus said indicated the sort of death by which Peter was to glorify God. On Vatican Hill, in Rome, during the reign of Nero, Peter did glorify his Lord with a martyr’s death, probably in the company of many Christians.

Second-century Christians built a small memorial over his burial spot. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine built a basilica, which was replaced in the 16th century.

Story:

This saintly man’s life is perhaps best summed up at his meeting with Jesus after the resurrection in the presence of the men Peter was to lead. In imitation of Peter’s triple denial, Jesus asked him three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:16b). Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. . . . Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you (John 21:16c, 17b).

Comment:

Like the committee chair, this chair refers to the occupant, not the furniture. Its first occupant stumbled a bit, denying Jesus three times and hesitating to welcome gentiles into the new Church. Some of its later occupants have also stumbled a bit, sometimes even failed scandalously. As individuals, we may sometimes think a particular pope has let us down. Still, the office endures as a sign of the long tradition we cherish and as a focus for the universal Church.

Quote:

Peter described our Christian calling in the opening of his First Letter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3a).

________

9 things you need to know about the “Chair of St. Peter”

By Jimmy Akin

Yes, there is a physical object known as “the Chair of St. Peter.”

It is housed at the Vatican, at the back of St. Peter’s basilica.

February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.

And there is more to the story.

Here are 9 things you need to know . . .

1. What is the Chair of Peter?

It depends on what you mean.

On the one hand, there is a physical object–an ancient, ornamented chair–located in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica.

On the other hand, there is the spiritual authority that this chair represents.

Here we will look at both the physical object and the spiritual reality it represents.

2. What is the physical Chair of St. Peter?

This object–known as the Cathedra Petri (Latin, “Chair of Peter”)–is located in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica. It is in the back of the chamber, behind the famous altar, on the far, back wall, below the the well-known, stained glass image depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove (see above).

This display contains an ancient chair that has been repaired and ornamented over time.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states of the original chair:

The seat is about one foot ten inches above the ground, and two feet eleven and seven-eighths inches wide; the sides are two feet one and one-half inches deep; the height of the back up to the tympanum is three feet five and one-third inches; the entire height of the chair is four feet seven and one-eighth inches.

According to the examination then made by Padre Garucci and Giovanni Battista de Rossi, the oldest portion is a perfectly plain oaken arm-chair with four legs connected by cross-bars.

The wood is much worm-eaten, and pieces have been cut from various spots at different times, evidently for relics.

To the right and left of the seat four strong iron rings, intended for carrying-poles, are set into the legs.

Below is an image of the ancient chair: (Caption for linked image)

3. How has the chair changed over time?

Various modifications have been made to the chair, to repair and ornament it.

Most notably, the famous Italian artist/architect Bernini (1598-1680) created the current display (pictured at the top of this post).

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes:

During the Middle Ages it was customary to exhibit [the chair] yearly to the faithful; the newly-elected pope was also solemnly enthroned on this venerable chair. . . .

In order to preserve for posterity this precious relic, Alexander VII (1655-67) enclosed, after the designs of Bernini, the Cathedra Petri above the apsidal altar of St. Peter’s in a gigantic casing of bronze, supported by four Doctors of the Church (Ambrose, Augustine, Athanasius, Chrysostom).

4. Did St. Peter really sit in this chair?

In the early 20th century, the Catholic Encyclopedia stated:

We conclude, therefore, that there is no reason for doubting the genuineness of the relic preserved at the Vatican, and known as the Cathedra Petri.

However, since that time the fields of history and archaeology have advanced considerably, and, when Pope Benedict addressed the subject in 2006 and 2012, he spoke in a more reserved way, saying:

Dear brothers and sisters, in the apse of St Peter’s Basilica, as you know, is the monument to the Chair of the Apostle, a mature work of Bernini. It is in the form of a great bronze throne supported by the statues of four Doctors of the Church: two from the West, St Augustine and St Ambrose, and two from the East: St John Chrysostom and St Athanasius [General Audience, Feb. 22, 2006].

The Chair of St Peter, represented in the apse of the Vatican Basilica is a monumental sculpture by Bernini. It is a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity [Angelus, Feb. 19, 2012].

He thus placed less emphasis on the archaeological authenticity of the chair than on its spiritual significance.

5. What is the spiritual significance of the feast the Church celebrates today?

According to Pope Benedict:

This is a very ancient tradition, proven to have existed in Rome since the fourth century. On it we give thanks to God for the mission he entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his Successors.

“Cathedra” literally means the established seat of the Bishop, placed in the mother church of a diocese which for this reason is known as a “cathedral”; it is the symbol of the Bishop’s authority and in particular, of his “magisterium”, that is, the evangelical teaching which, as a successor of the Apostles, he is called to safeguard and to transmit to the Christian Community. . . .

The See of Rome, after St Peter’s travels, thus came to be recognized as the See of the Successor of Peter, and its Bishop’s “cathedra” represented the mission entrusted to him by Christ to tend his entire flock. . . .

Celebrating the “Chair” of Peter, therefore, as we are doing today, means attributing a strong spiritual significance to it and recognizing it as a privileged sign of the love of God, the eternal Good Shepherd, who wanted to gather his whole Church and lead her on the path of salvation [General Audience, Feb. 22, 2006].

Additional spiritual insights are found in the Scripture readings for the day.

6. What does the first Scripture reading of the day have to teach us?

The first reading for the day is 1 Peter 5:1 - 4, which reads:

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory.

This reading introduces the idea of the leaders of God’s people as spiritual shepherds, focusing on Christ as the Chief Shepherd.

Although Peter is below Christ as his under-shepherd (John 21:15-17), he does not direct attention to himself. Instead, he extends the office of shepherd to the leaders in his audience, revealing to them the way that they are to serve the portions of Christ’s flock entrusted to their care–not by lording it over them (“domineering over those in your charge”) but by serving in a truly spiritual manner (“being examples to the flock”).

The first reading thus serves as instruction in the first place for those who are ordained ministers in Christ’s Church but–in an extended way – it serves as instruction for all of us, for we all influence others and should set the same example.

7. What does the responsorial Psalm of the day have to teach us?

The responsorial Psalm is taken from Psalm 23:1 - 6. It also echoes the theme of shepherding.

In this case the Lord is identified for the individual believer as “my shepherd,” with the result that “I shall not want” (that is, I shall not lack anything).

The whole Psalm thus is taken up into the theme of the day, focusing on the relationship between God as the ultimate shepherd of our souls and we as the individual members of his flock.

You can meditate on the complete Psalm below.

Psalm 23 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Divine Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;

2 he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters;[a]

3 he restores my soul.[b]

He leads me in paths of righteousness[c]

for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[d]

I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.

6 Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.[g]

Footnotes:

Psalm 23:2 Heb the waters of rest

Psalm 23:3 Or life

Psalm 23:3 Or right paths

Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness

Psalm 23:6 Or Only

Psalm 23:6 Or kindness

Psalm 23:6 Or as long as I live

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

8. What does the gospel reading of the day have to teach us?

The gospel reading for the day is Matthew 16:13-19, in which Jesus declares Peter the rock on which he will build his Church. (See Above)

9. Does the pope have to sit in the physical Chair of Peter be infallible?

No. Although the pope’s infallible pronouncements are called ex cathedra (Latin, “from the chair”) statements, he does not have to be sitting in the physical chair (which is rather high off the ground in any case).

In fact, he doesn’t have to be seated at all.

He simply has to use the fullness of his authority as the successor of Peter to definitively teaching a particular matter pertaining to faith or morals.

This use of the full extent of his teaching authority is referred to figuratively, as him speaking “from the chair” of St. Peter.

It’s a figurative expression, not a reference to the physical object.

#feast of ss. peter and paul

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dailyofficereadings · 7 years ago

Text

Daily Office Readings October 19, 2017

Psalm 18

Royal Thanksgiving for Victory

4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of perdition assailed me; 5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

Footnotes:

Psalm 18:13 Gk See 2 Sam 22.14: Heb adds hailstones and coals of fire

Psalm 18:35 Or gentleness

Psalm 18:43 Gk Tg: Heb people

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Jeremiah 38:1-13

Jeremiah in the Cistern

Jeremiah Is Rescued by Ebed-melech

Footnotes:

Jeremiah 38:7 Or Nubian; Heb Cushite

Jeremiah 38:10 Or Nubian; Heb Cushite

Jeremiah 38:11 Cn: Heb to under

Jeremiah 38:12 Or Nubian; Heb Cushite

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

1 Corinthians 14:26-33

Orderly Worship

(As in all the churches of the saints,

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 14:26 Gk brothers

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

1 Corinthians 14:37-40

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 14:39 Gk my brothers

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Matthew 10:34-42

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

Rewards

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

#October 19 #2017

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