Scripture Scribbles: June 29 - The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

the Gospel

Matthew 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 scribble

I love this, I love when the Gospels open up to me like a door, a door I can spiritually walk through.  Peter spoke the truest words he knew, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”

Jesus’ reply, that His heavenly Father revealed this to Peter, is stunning and at the same time it's the only thing that makes sense. 

It’s the only thing that makes sense today.

If you have faith, and you believe that Jesus is the son of the living God….then do you know who revealed this to you?  The living God!

Why? I don’t know. 

Why do I believe this down to my core?  I don’t know. 

Why is my faith not lukewarm anymore? I don’t know. 

Why does God continue to uncover Truth to me that five minutes ago I struggled to understand? I don’t know.

But He does. Maybe because my hardened heart cracked open one afternoon when I was feeling quite desperate to know Him, to know how…how to get this vocation right.  To not fail at motherhood, to keep my kids on the right path, to not let the world and all of its distractions eat my kids alive.

I needed more, I needed God. I think I may even have whispered, help. 

What am I feeling today?

Grateful!

Grateful, for the scales falling from my eyes, grateful for His gentle guidance that didn’t scare me away and make me run back to the “comfort” of my lukewarm faith. Grateful for my family who didn’t push me away with all my new and exciting “wisdom,” and now they have started on their own journeys. 

This simple little truth about my vocation was revealed to me:  my assignment was to help my husband and my kids get to heaven. I’m unaware, but grateful for my husband quietly slipping into his leadership role to help guide our family to heaven. He understood his unspoken assignment,  to help me, our children and anyone else God has put on our path to get to heaven.  Willing the good of the other, loving others.  Not an easy ask! But clear. Just like Jesus’s words in this Gospel:

“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.”

And it hasn’t!  There the Church stands today, the Church that Jesus built, standing strong.  Recently we all watched as a new Peter was named head of HIS Church. And my husband and I stood in Saint Peter’s Square this past Pentecost Sunday with thousands and thousands of other Pilgrims attending Mass with our new Pope and receiving the Eucharist, consecrated by the successor of Peter himself. We even had the opportunity to, not spiritually, but physically walk through three different sets of Holy Doors, opened in Rome for the Jubilee year…as we walked in and out of these beautiful sacred spaces, overwhelmed by this rock that is solid and eternal, we smiled.  

Thank you God for revealing yourself to me, and thank you for your Church, and the promises of Heaven.

Today’s devotion was written by Beth Brennan