FR. BEN’S HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II (1)
FR. BEN’S HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II
THEME: ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH!
BY: Ben Agbo (Rev Fr)
HOMILY FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 4 2022
*Jer 31 : 31 – 34, Matt 16 : 13 – 23.
The Church means different things to so many different people; for some, it is any simple gathering of believers
FR. BEN’S HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II
THEME: ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH!
BY: Ben Agbo (Rev Fr)
HOMILY FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 4 2022
*Jer 31 : 31 – 34, Matt 16 : 13 – 23.
The Church means different things to so many different people; for some, it is any simple gathering of believers in Christ; for many, it is the association of believers in Christ under one leader or earthly founder/ overseer; for us Catholics, it is the association of believers in Christ under the leadership authority of Christ himself as handed down by the chair of St Peter (the first Pope). We see that authority clearly conferred in today’s gospel: ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church’. Funny enough, the ‘Simon element’ in Peter, as Fulton Sheen calls it, was such a weak personality but Christ decided to turn it into a “rock” just to demonstrate what grace can do. And then to confer such a mighty authority on such a weak vessel, he said: ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven’.
Now talking about the power of the keys today, I just want to highlight two; the power to ordain priests and the power to forgive sins. Speaking about the priesthood, the scriptures presented a very high entry barrier by saying that ‘No one takes this honour upon himself but needs a call from God’. Who confirms this call from God if there is no Church? How can one call himself a priest if the body of Church elders (presbyteroi) did not lay hands on him, 1 Tim 4 : 14? On the power to forgive sins, Christ conferred that clearly on the apostles after his resurrection: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit, whatever sins you forgive on earth will be forgiven in heaven…’, Jn 20: 23.
Friends, sacramental confession is as scriptural as anything. Believers should not allow their denominational and doctrinal bias to block their interpretation of such clear scriptural passages like that. Every other arguments about the development of the sacrament in such practices as “auricular confession” – the way we have it today, are simpler ecclesiological matters that can be clarified by simple study of Church history. Christ has decided to establish his Church on the chair of St Peter. It was only historically providential that this chair is residing today in Rome under the Papacy of Pope Francis, otherwise there is nothing essentially ‘Roman’ about the ‘Catholic Church’. May God bless you today!
