The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle

READINGS
Acts 4:5-13
Psalm 23
1 Peter 5:1-4
Matthew 16:13-19

REFLECTION: "Stupid is as Stupid Does"

No less a luminary than Albert Einstein is quoted as having defined insanity as: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Tom Hanks, playing Forrest Gump in the 1994 movie of the same name expressed a similar theme with the famous words, "stupid is as stupid does".

So, shocker, in our first reading today, we encounter the apostle Peter, at a point not too long after Pentecost, already courting the very same religious leaders who sent Jesus to the cross, confronting them with the Gospel and, essentially, daring them to believe, or to take action to eradicate them.

Now, Jesus had come and spread his Gospel across the land, and, within the span of three and a half years found himself hanging on a tree. Why on earth would Peter have expected any different reception of the Gospel a mere six or so months later (if that!)? In and of itself, such an expectation is plain stupid... but taken with the absolute intransigence that the religious authorities demonstrated repeatedly insofar as Jesus was concerned, Peter's conduct borders on the insane.

Or does it...

Contending for the truth is never insane, at least not in the conventional sense. Insanity implies a lack of rationality. Of course, there are those who would mock Christians for abandoning rationality and exchanging an evolved sense of logic for 'fairy tales'. Next time you hear someone speaking sarcastically about the 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' or asking in that kind of serious/mocking tone (you know what I mean) about your relationship with 'Our Lord and Savior Cthulhu', you can pretty much figure that you've met someone who would take a similar position, at least intellectually, to your beliefs as the religious leaders did to the faith of the Apostles.

So what makes Peter's situation, and by extension ours, any different from those who abandon rationality, and who believe that we are all the offspring of aliens, or that all vaccines are a government conspiracy, or that Barack Obama isn't really an American citizen and, thus, isn't qualified to be president? 

The difference is faith. In specific, it is the summary of faith that Peter confessed in the presence of Jesus under girds, or at least should under gird, every aspect of our lives. Our every work and witness should confess, with Peter that Jesusis the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. No matter how significant the act, or how insignificant the word, whatever we do must have, at its core, a Christian identity and perspective. True, at times we are going to fall short of that ideal, our faith at times waxes and wanes... we become fearful or we withdraw at times. Peter knew all about this. And yet, no matter the strength of our faith, no matter how we may, at times, try to avoid it, Jesus is always there and ready to forgive and renew us, just as he did with Peter after his resurrection.

There is another difference... one that is found rooted in the Spirit. We are given the grace to approach life with boldness, knowing that what we believe is true. We believe it because of the witness of Scripture, the witness of blood in the martyrs of the Church - including Peter, and in the witness of the countless lives changed over nearly two-thousand years of Christian history. Yes, the Jewish religious authorities and Roman civil government could kill a man, but the Spirit raised him to new life, and enflamed with that new life those marked by the name of the Risen One. 

And with every new life formed in the waters of baptism, and through the sealing of the Spirit, there once again echoes out the cry of Peter... "Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God".

This is the faith that makes Peter rock. And, when we profess it, it makes us rock as well. This is the faith of the Church. It is a sold, dependable faith. It is rock. And, as we hear in our Gospel, the Gates of Hades will not conquer it. To put it plainly, this faith will never die.

And that's just as it should be, because - worldly rationality aside - we serve a Savior who will never die again... one who assures us that our death is simply the birth into a new life, if we are found solid on rock.

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

That the leaders of the Church may serve,
not out of a sense of self-entitlement,
or with a desire for personal recognition,
but with the truth in their hearts
and the needs of the people foremost in their minds,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That the people of God may cling to the solid rock of faith,
forever professing Jesus as Messiah,
and reaping the strength that comes from their profession,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those who oppose the the faith
based on false information,
or who ridicule believers for fun,
may have their hearts touched by the gentle presence of the Spirit,
and moved to understand more deeply the mystery of faith,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That the young and the old,
the educated and the simple-minded,
may with one heart profess the faith that saves with earnestness,
in spite of every obstacle presented by religious leaders,
civil governments,
or those who would terrorize them and demand that they give up their faith,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

For the needs and concerns of our hearts...
that, as people of faith,
we may be confident that the Messiah is interceding for us
even now before the Eternal Throne,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

Anthony

Today the Church commemorates Anthony of Egypt, accounted by many as the founder of Christian monasticism.

Born in 251 in upper Egypt, Anthony died in 356. He gave away his possessions and sought the austere life and solitude of the desert at an early age. He attracted disciples who formed communities of hermits. The account of his life by Athanasius was extremely influential in the development and spread of monasticism. Yet Anthony remained involved in the theological controversies of his day, defending the divinity of Christ. He is remembered as the father of Christian monasticism.

Hilary

Today the Church commemorates the life and witness of Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, who is accounted as a confessor, and a Doctor of the Church.

Born in the year 315, Hilary of Poitiers lived and ministered during the midst of the Arian controversy. Hilary was exiled from his bishopric at Poitiers by the emperor because of his staunch opposition to the Arian teaching that Jesus Christ was not equally God, together with the Father and the Spirit. His exile, which began in 357, lasted three years, during which time he wrote several essays, including “On the Trinity”. Finally the Emperor was forced to send him back to Gaul because he was causing such difficulties for the Arians in the East. After a life of faithful service in defense of the orthodox Christian faith, Hilary died in the year 367.

Bishop's New Year Message for 2024

While we have been into Ecclesiastical 2024 for about a month now, let's admit it... secular New Year's hits a bit different, and it is still what most of us think of when it comes to things like new directions, resolutions, or (for those of us working in a calendar-year business environment) budgets. Whatever this January is beginning for you, I pray that it is a blessing.

The year 2024 is filled with many opportunities and challenges for us. This is true on an individual level as well as on a communal level. I know that each of you can speak to the individual challenges you face, decisions that are awaiting a next step, or opportunities that you are looking to really understand. Whatever they are or may be, please know that I will be praying for you through it all, and am available to you as you discern your path on the journey.

As we begin the journey ahead into 2024, I have three things that I would like to share as reminders:

First, please don't forget your parish/ministry reports for Calendar Year 2023. These are due by Ash Wednesday. Please reach out if you have any questions concerning the formatting of this report.

Second, please be in prayer and preparation for our Convergence Retreat in North Carolina in June. I am looking forward to this time together.

Finally, I want to take a moment to address a matter that will be in the collective face of all of us who are American citizens moving throughout 2024...

As we all know, this is a presidential election year. As is typical, the rhetoric of our political system is in full steam... yet it feels (at times) like we haven't had a break from the rhetoric since the last election, if not longer. I know that each of you have your own political sensibilities, and I respect that each of us has the freedom to hold to them. However, I want to make sure to speak to an important point as we enter into this year: the Church is not a party to the election cycle, and must never become one.

As clergy of the Church, therefore, your words, phrases, and statements with regard to political matters must be carefully considered, and should be few. There are two reasons for this. First, the Church is a house that is open to all people. The more determined we are as individuals to champion a particular political position, the more clearly we telegraph to those who do not share a view with us that they are unwelcome in our midst. I can assure you that the vast majority of us have people of every political stripe coming to our Churches and communing at our altars. Taking public positions that might in any way be construed as an official Church position must be avoided. To that end, I deeply encourage each of us to double check our social media postings (including what we are sharing from other sources) in the coming months. 

It also bears repeating that no official statements may be made on any parish website or Facebook page, from any pulpit, etc... in support of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. To do so simply ratchets up the angst generated by the entire topic to begin with, and it can cause individual ministries and the Communion as whole to have its tax status called into question. The Church is free to educate her people on the morals and values she holds, and to encourage her people to participate (if they choose) in a manner that is in keeping with a formed Christian conscience, but the Church is not to tell her people how to cast a ballot. 

There is no political party in the United States that is a 1:1 standard-bearer for Christian values and ethics. We (us as clergy, and the people we serve) if we choose to participate in the political process, must do so with this recognition. If we choose not to participate, that choice also must be a principled one, based on a formed Christian conscience. In either state, we must consistently seek for the best for all people, proclaim the Gospel with clarity and truth, and showing the depths of the Divine Mercy of Jesus to all we encounter.

In this times where peace seems sorely lacking, may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding keep your hearts and minds secure in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.