“You, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus’ words that declared to Peter a new name and a new mission, were planted like seeds into the soil of Peter’s heart.
I wonder if Jesus’ voice echoed through Peter’s memory as the seed developed roots and began to grow? This phrase must have been such a consolation to Peter: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” What a busy builder Jesus has been these last 2000 years!
But as Peter grew into his mission of being the rock of the Church, I wonder how often he remembered Jesus’ words from the end of today’s Gospel? “[Peter, you] are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23). Peter could not see how Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection would bear fruit. As Peter continued to walk with Jesus, his thoughts must have slowly become more and more like God’s thoughts.
Today, let us turn our gaze to Jesus with the intercession of Saint Peter.
Is there a place in our thoughts that Jesus might say, “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do”? Jesus wants to give us the grace to transform our natural thoughts into supernatural thoughts. He wants our hearts to be so closely united to Him that we might think with Him.
Jesus desires that we would live in joyful hope that our own suffering and death will bear great fruit.
It's Saint Dominic's feast day today and his is a story of fighting heresy and establishing an order that is both contemplative and active, focused on contemplata tradere, handing on to others the fruits of contemplation, or to speak only of God and with God.
Rose Coleman is a contemplative in action who delights in all things beautiful. Her adventurous heart has traveled many places—from circumnavigating the globe on a ship during college to some years in the convent as a religious sister. Exuberant from her childhood, she is an elementary school teacher who learns so much from her students. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up and the author of our Blessed Conversations: Ways to Pray study found here. You can find out more about her here.
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