Christianity and Spirituality monthly forum
July 6, 2023, 7:30 p.m. CDT
Topic: The Uniqueness of Christ
Who do people say Jesus is -- then, and now? This will be the focus of our Zoom gathering, with times for prayer, teaching, reflection and discussion/sharing.
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We see in the risen Christ the end for which the human race was made, and the assurance that the end is within reach.
- Brooke Foss Westcott (1825-1901), The Revelation of the Risen Lord (Let the hope of resurrection bolster your spirit this day.) |
- Solemnity of Peter and Paul
Acts 12:1-11; Psalm 34:2-9; 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18
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.”
Reflection on the Scriptures
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." Abraham put his trust in God and made God's word the foundation of his life and the bedrock of his faith. Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to proclaim that Jesus was truly the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God. The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house and temple of the Holy Spirit with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks - spiritual stones. The Lord Jesus tests each of us personally
with the same question: Who do you say that I am? Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are my Lord and my Savior who has set me free from sin and deception. Make my faith
strong like the Apostles Peter and Paul and give me boldness to speak of you to others that they may come to know you as Lord and Savior.
-by dailyscripture.net
Proverbs for Perspective and Spiritual Living by Philip St. Romain, M.S., D. Min. From Pathways to Serenity, 1989, Liguori Publications; reprinted by Contemplative Ministries, Inc., 2013 (Minor editing applied.)
- https://shalomplace.com/view/pathview.html Included in Light for the Christian Journey, 2020: Contemplative Ministries, Inc.
https://shalomplace.com/view/light-journey.html
V. Discernment
9. The true mystic desires only to love others and leave them free. The false mystic speaks much of God, less of love, and very little of
freedom.
10. Do you seek the will of God? You may say yes only if you are willing to do the hard thing.
11. When struggling with others in a
conflict, ask: “Whose problem is whose?” Accept what is yours to work with and let go of the rest.
12. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” goes an old adage. The question is: will to what? and which way?
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