1 PT 5:1-4
PS 23:1-3A, 4, 5, 6
MT 16:13-19
The Lenten season is about preparation. We are
preparing for the death and resurrection of Jesus after these forty days. In
the Gospel today we see that Jesus is beginning to prepare the apostles for His
death. He says that Peter is the rock on which He will build His church. He is
creating the institution that will be the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. We have
inherited this church and are called to tend to it and help it to flourish.
That is what St. Paul is getting at in the first reading today. The question
then is how do we make the kingdom flourish. We can’t preach the Gospel without
first living out its teachings. We can use this Lenten season to improve
ourselves to be the best examples of the Gospel as possible. By our fasting,
small sacrifices of giving up something or increasing our prayer we are living
out the Gospel more fully and as such are continuing the Kingdom on earth. We
also see today the trust in God we must place. The response for today is
"the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want." This psalm is saying that
when we place our trust in God, He will provide for our needs. That doesn’t
mean we don’t have to be proactive in our lives. Instead, we should thank God
for all he does for us by praising Him and providing for all those in need
around us.
John Mitton
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