LET US LOVE THIS CHURCH

 

LET US LOVE THIS CHURCH

Peter recognized and proclaimed Jesus as the Son of the Living God. It was a revelation gifted by the Father to Peter. Through this revelation, Jesus instituted the Church under the leadership of Peter, the Rock on which it will be founded.

It is a good opportunity for us today to understand the Church—the one founded by the Lord and does not refer only to the building but to the members and leaders as well. The members are the baptized and the leaders are those who were ordained according to Church traditions dating back to the time of the Lord Jesus. The Church is us—with our leaders and Jesus. The proclamation of the Good News, according to Jesus, for the salvation of souls is Her main purpose. The Church is the Sacrament of Jesus’ presence. She performs Jesus’ threefold function: prophetic, priestly, and kingly.

She is both sinful and holy, hypocrite and authentic. She is sinful and hypocrite because Her members are human beings with limitations and weaknesses. She is holy and authentic because of the presence of the Lord. The Church has existed and served since Peter’s designation as Her leader. She has her ups and downs, successes and failures, scandals and glories, due to human weakness. But she persisted and continues to exist because nothing, not even the gates of hell, can prevail over Jesus, the Son of God.

It is for this reason that we ought to trust the Church, Her members and leaders. Her many years of experience through history should attest for Her knowledge of the truth. Coupled with the guidance of the Spirit of Jesus, the Church, through the pope, is infallible. This is what the Church leaders, bishops, and priests, teach us. They are not free to teach their own knowledge and understanding of what Jesus taught. The Church’s Sacred Scriptures and Tradition combine to provide us with the truth and the context in which Jesus taught.

Let us love this Church. Jesus gave this to us. Fr. Benny Tuazon

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

Do you trust that the Church will prevail despite the current wave of persecution and attacks from evil forces?

Thank You for giving us the Church, dearest Father. Through Her, we find refuge. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________