My Dear People,

The contrast between the glorious things spoken to Peter in last Sunday’s Gospel and the sharp rebuke to Peter in this Gospel could hardly be more pronounced. It is quite intentional on the part of the evangelist, who wants us to observe, almost simultaneously, the divine promises given to Peter alongside Peter’s human weaknesses.

The contrast between divine guidance and human weakness is the theme of the history of the papacy. Catholics hold that the Pope is infallible in teaching, not impeccable in his behavior. The distinction is often lost on non-Catholics, who understand us to be believers that the Pope is sinless. Obviously, the popes have not been sinless, and a few well-chosen historical examples quickly demonstrate the fact.

We do not hold that the pope is sinless. Nor do we profess that he always teaches the best way or says exactly the right thing at the right time. Papal infallibility is much weaker than some understand it. It is simply the belief that the pope is protected from errors in his solemn official teachings.

In last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus did not say to Peter: “You will never again sin.” He said: “What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mathew 16:19) In the Greek of this passage, Jesus uses future perfect formation. Literally, “What you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; what you loose on earth will have been bound in heaven.” In other words, it’s not so much that Peter’s decisions change heavenly policy; it is that the policy of heaven will be reflected in Peter’s teachings.

In today’s passage, Peter is not making a decision about judgment hallakah for God’s people. In fact, the Spirit has not even been poured out yet, and Jesus has not yet ascended to the right hand of the Father (see John 20:17; Acts 2:33). Peter gives an emotional reaction to the hard teachings of Jesus, and Jesus rebukes him sharply. Peter is wrong. Suffering and death will happen to Jesus. In fact, almost identical suffering and death is going to happen to Peter himself (John 21:18). All followers of Christ must be ready to follow

Christ to death, including and especially the successor of Peter. In fact, many of Peter’s early successors did share in martyrdom.

This Gospel reading includes one of the most succinct and challenging formulations of the “Good News” uttered by Jesus during his earthly ministry:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

This is the same Good News that Jesus has been preaching since the beginning of Matthew, where he blessed the poor, the hungry and thirsty, the meek, and the persecuted at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. The poor of the Beatitudes are those who have given up their own lives and taken up the Cross of Christ. This call of Christ is so in conflict with the “American Dream” lifestyle most of us in the pews are trying to live. Sometimes it takes a world event or an economic collapse to help us rediscover what is important in life and what the Gospel is actually about.

[Source; Reflection on Sunday readings for year A by Dr. John Bergdsma]

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente