As I pray night prayer in Rome tonight, I look out my window upon the dome of St. Peter. As stunning an edifice as this is, it is mostly a monument to St. Peter’s confession of faith in Jesus Christ. After St. Peter’s martyrdom very near this location, he was buried on a nearby hillside, which is the precise location for this incredible architectural masterpiece. Excavations during the 1950’s pretty much concluded the burial place – of bones from the time of Peter – reside directly below the cupola of St. Peter!
Witness of faith to Jesus Christ – that is what the Church is indeed founded upon and the reason the Church exists – to proclaim Jesus Christ!
Even today’s Gospel for daily Mass is a confession of faith of St. Peter: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply: “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:18-22)
So, my dear friends in faith – do not be ashamed of Jesus Christ nor of his Gospel! (Romans 1:16) Live the faith! Make Christ your first priority in all you do!
Another Scripture that comes to mind as we embark on the Synod on Synodality is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians – which is his theological excursus on the Church. He writes in Chapter 4:
Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.” (4:15- 16)
The proper functioning of each part … This is what the synodal journey longs to invoke – every member of the Body of Christ – all the baptized – properly functioning in their faith – which is our truest path to bring about the body’s growth – building our selves up in love!
Peace and Prayers!
+pde
8