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To: All

From: John 21:15-19

Peter’s Primacy


[15] When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son
of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know
that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” [16] A second time He said
to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord, you
know I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” [17] He said to him the third
time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said
to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know
everything; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. [18]
Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked
where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and
another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” [19] (This He
said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this He said to him,
“Follow Me.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

15-17. Jesus Christ had promised Peter that he would be the primate of the
Church (cf. Matthew 16:16-19 and note on the same). Despite his three denials
during our Lord’s passion, Christ now confers on him the primacy He promised.

“Jesus questions Peter, three times, as if to give him a triple chance to atone for
his triple denial. Peter has learned his lesson from the bitter experience of his
wretchedness. Aware of his weakness, he is deeply convinced that rash claims
are pointless. Instead he puts everything in Christ’s hands. ‘Lord, You know well
that I love You” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 267). The primacy was given to
Peter directly and immediately. So the Church has always understood—and so
Vatican I defined: “We therefore teach and declare that, according to the testi-
mony of the Gospel, the primacy of jurisdiction over the universal Church of God
was immediately an directly promised and given to Blessed Peter the Apostle
by Christ our Lord. [...] And it was upon Simon Peter alone that Jesus after His
resurrection bestowed the jurisdiction of chief pastor and ruler over all His fold in
the words: “Feed My lambs; feed My sheep” (”Pastor Aeternus”, Chapter 1).

The primacy is a grace conferred on Peter and his successors, the popes; it is
one of the basic elements in the Church, designed to guard and protect its unity:
“In order that the episcopate also might be one and undivided, and that [...] the
multitude of the faithful might be kept secure in the oneness of faith and com-
munion, He set Blessed Peter over the rest of the Apostles, and fixed in him the
abiding principle of this twofold unity, and its visible foundation” (”Pastor Aeternus,
Dz-Sch 3051”; cf. Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 18). Therefore, the primacy of
Peter is perpetuated in each of his successors: this is something which Christ
disposed; it is not based on human legislation or custom.

By virtue of the primacy, Peter, and each of his successors, is the shepherd of
the whole Church and vicar of Christ on earth, because he exercises vicariously
Christ’s own authority. Love for the Pope, whom St. Catherine of Siena used to
call “the sweet Christ on earth”, should express itself in prayer, sacrifice and
obedience.

18-19. According to Tradition, St. Peter followed his Master to the point of dying
by crucifixion, head downwards, “Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom in Rome
during Nero’s persecution of Christians, which took place between the years 64
and 68. St. Clement, the successor of the same Peter in the See of the Church
of Rome, recalls this when, writing to the Corinthians, he puts before them ‘the
generous example of these two athletes’: ‘due to jealousy and envy, those who
were the principal and holiest columns suffered persecution and fought the fight
unto death’” (Paul VI, “Petrum Et Paulum”).

“Follow Me!”: these words would have reminded the Apostle of the first call he
received (cf. Matthew 4:19) and of the fact that Christ requires of His disciples
complete self-surrender: “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself
and take up the Cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). St. Peter himself, in
one of his letters, also testifies to the Cross being something all Christians must
carry: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.


6 posted on 06/28/2014 6:20:59 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

These readings are for the Vigil Mass on the evening before the feast:


First reading

Acts 3:1-10 ©

Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.


Psalm

Psalm 18:2-5 ©

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

  and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

  and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

  yet their span extends through all the earth,

  their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.


Second reading

Galatians 1:11-20 ©

The Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

  Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have written is the literal truth.


Gospel Acclamation

Jn21:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord, you know everything:

you know I love you.

Alleluia!


Gospel

John 21:15-19 ©

After Jesus had shown himself to his disciples and eaten with them, he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

‘I tell you most solemnly,

when you were young

you put on your own belt

and walked where you liked;

but when you grow old

you will stretch out your hands,

and somebody else will put a belt round you

and take you where you would rather not go.’

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’

These readings are for the day of the feast itself:


First reading

Acts 12:1-11 ©

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

  On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’


Psalm

Psalm 33:2-9 ©

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Glorify the Lord with me.

  Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

  from all my terrors he set me free.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Look towards him and be radiant;

  let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

  and rescued him from all his distress.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

The angel of the Lord is encamped

  around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

  He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.


Second reading

2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 ©

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

  The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.


Gospel Acclamation

Mt16:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.

And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.

Alleluia!


Gospel

Matthew 16:13-19 ©

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’


7 posted on 06/28/2014 6:37:45 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Here’s wishing everyone reading this thread a peaceful evening and a good night’s rest.


8 posted on 06/28/2014 6:39:16 PM PDT by Ciexyz
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