THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH - 6/29/22 (Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul)

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for His appearance.

Matthew 16:15-18

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.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062922-day.cfm

For more information on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/june-29---saints-peter-and-paul-apostles--solemnity/

For the examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Blessed Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul! Who is Jesus for many people? This may sound an easy question for us, but in reality, many people do not really know who our Lord is. In the time of Jesus, some of the crowd think that He's merely a prophet like others. In our own time, it's unfortunate that some people think Jesus is just a "fictional character", a myth rather than our true God. Meanwhile, other Christians think that He is our Lord who tolerates us when we commit sins and who gives us this life to satisfy our own desires. Our Savior is reminding us that there are many lies in this world and as such, it's necessary for us to be strong in our faith as Catholics. 

This faith is a gift from God. It's not something we can just do on our own. It is a true revelation that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior. He came to us to proclaim the gospel, and He offered Himself on the cross for our salvation. He is the Second Divine Person of the Holy Trinity, the only begotten Son of God the Father. After Simon confessed to Jesus, a new name was given to him, Peter. Peter means "Rock." St. Peter became the first Pope of he Catholic Church, the Prince of the apostles. Together with St. Paul, they founded the Mother Church in Rome. Why is the Church important? Isn't Christianity just about having a relationship with Jesus? 

If we truly want to have a deep relationship with our Lord, we need to listen to His Spouse, the Catholic Church. It is through the Church that we can know the fullness of truth of His gospel. Jesus promises to guide and protect the Church. This is seen when He said, "The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." The gates of netherworld, or the gates of hell in other translations, pertain to Satan and all other evil spirits who hate God and who want to destroy His Church. Jesus knows that Satan can deceive many people in the world. As such, He established the Church to be His voice in our lives. 

Satan is the father of lies. He wants people to fall to temptations, to believe in lies, to commit sins, to despair, and his goal is for many souls to enter hell. On the contrary, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The gospel teaches us that He will protect the Church which means that we have the certainty that what we believe is true by being faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Since the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church, the Catholic Church will remain standing until the end of times proclaiming the truth of Christ's teachings. We need to be more firm today in our culture where marriage is redefined, where gender becomes so confusing, where the act of sex is reduced to  recreation and pleasure, where morality is subjective, and where the world hates the Church. 

The fact that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church does not imply that there will be no spiritual battle. In reality, it will be a tough battle since we are contending against Satan and the other fallen angels. They will tempt us to be lax, to be doubtful and to despair. Our Lord is telling us to imitate St. Paul who finished the race, who competed well and who kept the faith. The life of St. Peter and St. Paul was not an easy one. They died as martyrs. They died because people hated the truth. We may experience many sufferings, oppositions, and mockeries for living the Catholic faith. In these times, let's immediately go to God in our prayers because He will grant us the strength to endure these trials. When we are tempted to deny our faith, let's humble ourselves and beg graces from God to reject such temptations while making an act of faith to Him. May we pray, not just for ourselves, but also for conversion of people who do not believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church. By following Jesus who speaks through the Church, we have a hope that the crowns of righteousness are awaiting us in heaven. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic