29 June 2013 - load bearing pillars

29 June 2013 - load bearing pillars

The Church celebrates her blessedness today in having the great saints Peter and Paul.

They know who Jesus is.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And will stop at nothing to let the whole world know.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

As great as they are, they are still supported by the prayers of the Church.

Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.

These prayers allow Paul to stand fast in the face of possible martyrdom.

I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.

These prayers send an angel to rescue Peter from prison.

“Get up quickly.”
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”

And if Peter and Paul need the prayers of the Church how much more do our bishops, priests, and religious today need them.  In the face of the dark times toward which our country is diving headlong we must never neglect prayer for the clergy and religious.  They support us by the proclamation of the truth and their dispensation of the sacraments.  Prayer for them is the least we can do.

The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

If we truly fear the LORD we will make all of our needs known to him.  Fearing him means trusting him more than we trust ourselves.  If we find ourselves neglecting to bring our concerns to him it means we need to realize more and more who he is and how much he loves us.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.