Để thực sự trở thành một môn đệ, một tín hữu của Chúa Giêsu có ý nghĩa gì? Bài phúc âm hôm nay cho thấy một số điều kiện đòi hỏi mà chúng ta cần phải có để được Chúa Giêsu mời gọi để làm người đối tác trong sứ mệnh cứu độ của Ngài.
Một điều kiện cần có lòng Tin để có thể hoàn toàn sự tin tưởng vào sự quan phòng của Thiên Chúa. Trong trường hợp một người nói là muốn trở thành môn đệ của Chúa. Chúa Giêsu đã nói với ông ta rằng muốn theo Chúa thỉ từ bỏ tất cả, ngay cả những điều tối thiểu cần thiết cho cuộc sống cững chẳng cần. Như việc kiếm nơi trú ẩn hang ngày cũng chẳng cần thết “on Người không có chỗ tựai đầu. “
Điều kiện thứ hai thậm chí còn khó khăn hơn khi Chúa Giêsu nói có vẻ thô lỗ với một người có trách nhiệm chon cất người Cha. Phản ứng của Chúa Giêsu với người đàn ông này hầu như khá xúc phạm và không được nhạy cảm. Làm thế nào mà kẻ chết có thể chôn kẻ chết? Tuy nhiên, qua sự suy ngẫm thêm chúng ta bằng cách nào đó có thể thấy được cái lý do tại sao Chúa Giêsu đã nhận xét như vậy. Chúa Giêsu khuyến cáo là những xu hướng của chúng ta là tìm cách để hợp lý hóa và trì hoãn các quyết định của chúng ta như là một cách để biện minh cho hành động của chúng ta. Khi làm như vậy, chúng ta bỏ lỡ thông điệp của Chúa Giêsu, Đấng muốn thể hiện sự khẩn cấp trong việc thực hiện sứ mệnh cứu độ. Điều quan trọng là bây giờ. Có nhiều việc phải làm để công bố Tin Mừng của tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa. Mặc dù chúng ta tôn trọng người chết, thời gian trần thế của họ là hơn và do đó, những gì trở nên quan trọng và cấp bách là những gì thúc đẩy cuộc sống và sự hiện diện của Chúa Giêsu ở giữa chúng ta.
Cuối cùng, Chúa Giêsu muốn các môn đệ phải tập trung hoàn toàn vào nhiệm vụ. Chúng ta biết rất rõ là chúng ta có thể bị phân tâm rất nhiều trong những mối quan tâm và sự lo lắng trong cuộc sống. Tuy nhiên, khi những gì đang bị đe dọa trong nhiệm vụ liên quan đến sự cứu rỗi của chúng ta và đó chính là Đức Giêsu, Đấng kêu gọi chúng ta, mọi thứ khác chỉ là thứ yếu.
Tất cả những điều kiện đã nói ở trên mô tả những thách thức mà Chúa Giêsu muốn gởi tới cho những ai muốn được theo Ngài. Những điều kiện đó quả thực là quá khó khăn và đòi hỏi chúng ta phải đồng hành với Chúa Giêsu trong sứ vụ của Ngài, nhưng hãy yên tâm phần thưởng dành cho chúng ta rất lớn. Chúng ta đã sẵn sàng để theo Chúa Giêsu Chưa? Ngài đang chờ đợi sự đáp ứng của chúng ta.
What does it really mean to become a disciple, a follower of Jesus? The gospel passage suggests a number of requirements when one is called by Jesus to become a partner in his mission of salvation.
The second condition is even more challenging in that Jesus seems to be rude to someone who feels the responsibility to bury his father first. His response to the man is quite insulting and insensitive. How can the dead bury the dead? Yet, it is only through further reflection that we can somehow see the reason why Jesus made such a remark. Jesus challenges our tendency to rationalize and procrastinate our decisions as our way to justify our actions. In doing so, we miss the message of Jesus who wants to show the urgency in fulfilling the mission of salvation. What is important is the now. There is much to be done to proclaim the good news of the love and mercy of God. Though we respect the dead, their earthly time is over and thus, what becomes important and urgent is what promotes life and the presence of Jesus in our midst.
Finally, Jesus wants his followers to be totally focused on the mission. People cannot be faint-hearted or wishy-washy in their commitment as their progress to be totally dedicated to the mission will be lacking and lukewarm. We know very well how we can be distracted with so many concerns and anxieties in life that are legitimate and reasonable. Yet, when what is at stake is the mission regarding our salvation and it is Jesus who calls us, everything else is secondary. There is some truth to one book entitled: "God is first. You are second. I am third."
All the aforementioned describe the challenges of Jesus to anyone who desires to become his follower. It is indeed arduous and demanding to be companions of Jesus in his mission, but rest assured the rewards are great. Are we ready to follow Jesus? He is only waiting for our response?
“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.” Matthew 16:17–19
Though the Church will suffer in many ways, She will ultimately overcome all things. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, we are reminded of this truth by pondering their lives as two of the greatest pillars of the Church. Neither imprisonments, persecutions, nor apparent defeats kept them from fulfilling the mission God gave them. Likewise, the Church will never be overcome, for She remains under the guardianship of divine providence.
The Church shall prevail for one simple reason: Jesus said so. He founded the Church upon the Twelve Apostles, giving unique and supreme authority to Peter: “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.” Though Peter’s given name was Simon, Jesus changed it to Peter—Petros in Greek and Cephas in Aramaic. Both terms can be used as a man’s name but also mean “rock.” Hence, Peter, and the Apostles in union with him, become the rock and immovable foundation upon which the Church is built.
By giving Peter “the keys to the Kingdom of heaven,” Jesus granted him singular authority to teach, govern, and sanctify with divine authority. This authority did not end with Peter; it is passed on to his successors through the office of bishop. Since Peter died in Rome, Rome remains the see of the Church’s divinely established governance.
Though Peter offers the Church the stability and clarity necessary as the immovable rock foundation, Paul reflects the Church’s missionary role to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This is seen especially in today’s second reading, where Paul, facing the end of his earthly life, proclaims that he has “competed well,” “finished the race,” and “kept the faith.” His life was poured out as a libation for Christ, tirelessly laboring to make the Gospel known to all nations. While Peter ensures the Church’s unity and fidelity to divine truth, Paul embodies her zeal to spread that truth to every corner of the world, calling all people into communion with Christ and His Church.
Peter and Paul remain spiritually alive and active today through the unbroken tradition God established through them. Often at World Youth Day, when the Holy Father is present, young people chant, “You are Peter!” It is a beautiful expression of their faith in this foundational truth Christ established. Though every pope is a sinner like the rest of humanity, faith leads us to look beyond human weakness to see the successor of Saint Peter, the solid rock to whom Christ entrusted the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, Peter’s mission remains alive today, not only in the person of the Holy Father, but also in our faith in his divinely given authority.
Saint Paul remains alive today through the ongoing fulfillment of the mission God gave him. His burning zeal to proclaim the Gospel lives on in every missionary endeavor, every act of evangelization, and every effort to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. His spirit is especially present in those who courageously preach the Word, catechize the young, defend the faith, and labor tirelessly for the salvation of souls. Just as Peter ensures unity and fidelity, Paul inspires action and outreach, so that the Church may extend Christ’s Kingdom to every land and heart.
Reflect today on these pillars of the Church and acknowledge the living witness they gave and continue to give. Renew your faith in Peter, alive in the Holy Father, professing him as the rock foundation. See Paul at work by recognizing the missionary activity of the Church, carried out by countless souls with zeal and courage. Allow their witness to inspire within you a deeper love for the Church, and commit yourself anew to the mission entrusted to you: to remain firmly rooted in the truth and to bring that truth to the world with boldness and charity.
Saints Peter and Paul, God called you in powerful and unique ways, making you pillars of the Church. Please pray for us, and for the entire Church, that we may continue the mission Christ entrusted to you. I especially entrust myself to that mission and pray that I may remain faithful to it in imitation of your example. Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I believe that Jesus is the Christ and your eternal Son. You sent him to establish the Church as the seed and beginning of your Kingdom. Through Peter, the apostles, and the other disciples, you spread your Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Reign in my heart!
1. The New Royal Steward: On this solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, we read in the Gospel about Jesus entrusting the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Simon Peter and granting him the authority to bind and loose on earth. The background to the image of the keys is the Kingdom of David. Just as the kingdom of David had one of its twelve ministers act as a royal steward entrusted with the keys (Isaiah 22), so also the Kingdom of Heaven, inaugurated by Jesus, has a royal steward entrusted with the keys. “The royal steward, the ‘one over the palace’ (Hebrew: asher al-habbayit), wore the key or keys to the place on his shoulder as his badge of office. He controlled access to the king’s throne room: what he shut no one could open, and what he opened no one could shut (Isaiah 22:22). The royal steward was second in authority only to the king. Jesus is placing Peter in that role in the kingdom of heaven that he is establishing” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Solemnities and Feasts, 331). Simon Peter was also granted the authority to “bind and loose.” In the First Century A.D., there was division among the Jewish people about who had this interpretive, teaching, and legal authority. The Sadducees thought that the high priest did. The Pharisees thought that they did, because the high priesthood had been usurped by the Hasmoneans in the second century B.C. The Essenes rejected the Sadducees and Pharisees as spiritually corrupt and were waiting for a royal Davidic Messiah (a military and political leader) and a priestly Aaronic Messiah (a teaching and spiritual leader). When Jesus grants Peter royal authority with the keys and priestly authority with the power to bind and loose, he is effectively resolving the conflict between the religious groups of the day.
Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. Matthew 8:14–15
How do we properly respond to the action of God in our lives? In the passage above, we are given the witness of Peter’s mother-in-law to answer that question. It should be noted that Jesus was on a continual mission of healing. In fact, before arriving at the house of Peter, Jesus had just healed a centurion’s servant. When the centurion came to Jesus stating that he was not even worthy to have Him enter his house, Jesus saw the centurion’s faith and healed his servant from a distance. After arriving at the house of Peter, we are told that many people brought to Jesus those who were possessed by demons, and Jesus healed them all. But between the healing of the servant and the healings of the many, another healing occurred. The response to this healing sets for us a wonderful example.
Peter’s mother-in-law was ill and in bed with a fever. It’s unclear just how ill she was, but the fact remains that she was ill to the point of being in bed. Notice, first, that Jesus was not even asked to heal her. Rather, He “saw” her ill and in bed, approached her of His own choosing, “touched her hand,” and she was healed.
Within the same sentence describing Jesus’ healing, we are told that “she rose and waited on him.” First of all, “she rose.” This should be seen as a symbolic depiction of what we must do when we are touched by grace. The grace of God, when it is given to us, must have the effect of causing us to rise. We rise from sin when we confess that sin and receive forgiveness, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We rise up every time God enters our lives to give us direction, clarity and hope. To rise is to be strengthened to dispel the burden that sin and confusion causes. We rise in strength, renewed and determined to go about the will of God.
After this woman rose, she “waited” on Jesus. This is the reason we rise up when touched by grace. We are not given God’s grace so that we can go back to our sin, or pursue our own ventures, or do our own will. We rise so that we can serve our Lord and His holy will. In a sense, Jesus’ actions in our lives impose upon us a holy burden. But it is a burden that is light. It’s an obligation to serve and give ourselves to our Lord to attend to Him, His holy will, and to all that He calls us to do.
Reflect, today, upon this threefold action of the Gospel. See Jesus approaching you and touching you in your prayer. Know that He comes to you not only because you pray to Him but out of His own initiative when He sees you will respond. Then consider your response. Rise from that which keeps you down.
Let God’s grace free you from the burdens you carry. And as He grants you this grace, determine to wait on Him and to serve His will alone. The service of our Lord is what we are made for, and doing so will enable us to continually receive His grace through His touch of love.
My merciful Jesus, You continually come to me, approaching me to reach out and touch me with Your grace. You desire my healing and strengthening every day. Help me to be open to all that You wish to bestow and please free me from all that keeps me down. May I rise up in service of You and Your holy will so that Your Kingdom may be built up more fully through me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I believe that Jesus is the Christ and your eternal Son. You sent him to establish the Church as the seed and beginning of your Kingdom. Through Peter, the apostles, and the disciples, you spread your Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Reign in my heart!
1. From Saul the Pharisee to Paul the Apostle: When we contemplate the life of Saul the Pharisee, we witness a great conversion. Unlike King Saul, who was chosen by God to lead his people and who failed miserably, Saul the Pharisee followed a different path. When he encountered the Risen Jesus, he did not act arrogantly and stubbornly hold on to his old ways. King Saul fell because of his pride and disobedience; Saul the Pharisee was raised up because of his humility and the obedience of faith. One of the goals of the Acts of the Apostles is to show that the lives of Paul and Peter parallel each other. The author, Luke, wants to show that the controversial teachings of Paul are actually in line with those of Peter. The Old Covenant has been brought to fulfillment in the New. Salvation is not through the works of the Old Law or ethnic descent from Abraham and Jacob. Salvation is through faith in Jesus, who died for us and poured out the Spirit upon us. This is the Good News that Paul the Apostle and Peter the Rock brought to the world.
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