Thursday, August 5, 2021 - Eighteenth Week of Ordinary time - Your word, Lord, is spirit and life; You have the words of eternal life-Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew 16, 13-23

Often in the Gospels we are asked by people or the people or the Pharisees or the scribes or the disciples, but here again, it is Jesus Himself who asks His disciples: Who is the Son of Man? " The term "Son of Man" was used in the days of the prophets, or more precisely in the days of Ezekiel, but Jesus applied it to Himself. But this prophet was also the number one person who knew Him, for some the famous Old Testament figures such as Elijah, and Jeremiah, but also John the Baptist. But in our day, Jesus' question to His disciples is even more relevant, and it also applies to us directly: "But who do you say that I am?" This question is for me, for you, for us, so it needs an answer from me, from you, from us. Everyone may have their own answer. Unreliable answers from people. Peter's statement is clear: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." But what about ours? He is our representative, but he needs our own as well. Is it the same as what we learned in the beginning, or has it evolved and deepened, or is it even more backward or even gone? If He is not known, how can we love, seek, and come to Him?

Christ established His Church with Peter and no one else, even though the number of Apostles was twelve, even though his mother was also present. It also means that the Church does not belong to man but to Christ, his words here are clear: "My Church" and: "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" He did not say that there would be no hell but that it was his gate it is stated. It also means that there will be trials in the Church, there will be the hard and not the evil that will overcome, even though they seem to be very prevalent now, manifested in many ways, that Christ must overcome. But even more astonishing is the mystery in which Christ established His Church, which Peter controlled not only on earth but also in heaven: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And it continues in the Church of Christ to this day.

But he revealed his secret not only to Peter but to all his disciples, including us today. Peter, on the other hand, allowed Satan to work and kept talking. Beware that Satan seeks to ensnare everyone and that many will fall if they are not careful. Always be vigilant. This power is deceptive and is a great temptation. There is the supremacy of power that dominates, does little without warming up, makes dictatorships, dictates big rules, does not care for the little ones, does little things without hurting them. It looks like a toy of fire that flirts and makes you want to get close, but it burns up as soon as you play with it. It also seems to mean that even in the Church it is dangerous to allow Satan to use it. So let us always think according to God, that it is an act of faith and not just of men. So that you will not be tempted. May we be far from falling into temptation. Amen.

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