THE WORD
Ac 12,1-11 / 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 Messiah, 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.”
IN OTHER WORDS
Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines engraved a lasting memory in people’s hearts. . Christians and non-Christians tailed him everywhere, followed him on television, on the radio - watching and listening to him, catching some words that touched them. Perhaps the most moving was his visit to Tacloban where everybody, including the Pope in a raincoat, braved the storm to celebrate the Eucharist.
How could an old man, a stranger who could hardly communicate in English, gather such a big crowd and touch their lives? The answer: he is the successor of Peter, the rock, upon which Jesus, the Messiah built his Church. Matthew’s gospel mentions the Greek term ekklesia (Mt 16:8) – Iglesia in Spanish and Church in English. In Mt 18:17, it is translated as “community.” Indeed the Church is an “assembly called by God himself.” Her members through their Christian lives and witness make visible the Kingdom of God already here on earth. The growth of the Church confirms its foundation on Christ. In sub-Saharan Africa there were fewer than two million Catholics in 1900; by 2000 there might be two hundred million!
Our English-speaking community in Kinshasa has people from different countries and continents united in faith. We owe this to missionaries who left their countries to announce the Good news to those who hadn’t heard of it. First was Saint Paul, the Apostle, who preached to the Gentiles (i.e., nations of different races and cultures). From his conversion until his death he consecrated his life for the missions. “The Lord stood by me and gave me power so that through me the Gospel might be fully proclaimed to all the gentiles to hear” (2 Tm 4:17).
- Fr. Xene Sanchez, SVD | Congo, Africa
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
