Monday, June 29, 2020 - Saints Peter and Paul - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16, 13-19 - You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail over it.

"Who is the Son of Man?" The people's response was to compare Jesus to prophets like Elijah and Jeremiah.

But when Peter answered, he professed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This answer, however, is not properly his own, but that of God Himself, who revealed Him to him by faith. It is not only Peter's answer, but that of all of us. We believe that Jesus is the Christ of the living God because of the faith God has given us. Because of the answer given by Peter, Jesus established the Church upon Peter and his faith. And he promised that "the power of Death shall not prevail over it. Not only did He receive the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, so that "whatever he binds on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever he looses on earth shall be loosed in heaven". This power continues today through the succession of popes, for they are the successors of Peter. That is, God approves what they will bind on earth and what they will release on earth concerning faith and the Church.

Thus, the Church today celebrates St. Peter and St. Paul. According to what has already been revealed, Saint Peter was the first representative of Jesus Christ on earth and one of the twelve whom he personally chose to follow him. As for Paul, he expanded the Church, which Jesus established, throughout the world. Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.