Grassroots Liturgist

Do you remember when your parents first gave you your own key to the family home?   It was a significant occasion.   You were being given responsibility.   Even before that, if parents are away from the house for a period of time, they might give the house key to the eldest child, a symbol that that child is now in charge until they return; they are to take care of the property but, more importantly, take care of their younger siblings. So what did Jesus mean when he said to Simon Peter, “ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven ”?   We can certainly leave behind the cartoon imagery of Peter at the pearly gates, deciding whether to open them for you on the day of judgement.   Instead, Jesus is alluding to Isaiah 22.   In the kingdom of David, there was an office called ‘ al bayith ’ or leader ‘ over the house ’ of David.   The prophet Isaiah said of this office, “ I will place on his shoulder the key of the House of David. ”   ...

In our last reflection, we saw how Simon being renamed by Jesus, from Simon to Peter, was deeply rooted in the Old Testament and was highly significant: it indicated Peter’s role in God’s plan of salvation. We are all familiar with the name Peter meaning rock, indicating a solid foundation on which Jesus’ Church would be built.   But what is this Church?   In English, the word church can mean several things.   But the Greek word used here in the Gospel was ekklesia (or ecclesia) and specifically referred to a group of people who have been called out of the world and to God – an assembly or congregation.   So here, church doesn’t mean building or even the ‘institution’, but the gathered, assembled people of God.   Again, there are echoes of the Old Testament when the Assembly of Israel would be called out from their homes to gather in the Temple and worship the Lord.   We cannot over emphasise the importance of the temple to the Jewish people.   ...

We are in an unusual period of time.   Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has died but our next Pope has not yet been presented to us.   Perhaps this is an opportune time to reflect on the papacy.   After all, the authority of the Bishop of Rome is a significant reason why we are separated from our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations. The Peter that we read about in the gospels is not a simple, one-dimensional figure. He is presented as something of a hot head, prone to speaking before thinking or before seeing the whole picture, of making grandiose promises that he does not fulfil, and yet God blessed Simon Peter with remarkable insight when he, alone of all the apostles, stated “ You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God .” (Matt 16: 16)   Jesus replied, “ Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.   And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build...