Daily Readings - Sat Jun 29 2019

¹Now at the same time, king Herod extended his hand, in order to afflict some from the Church²Then he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword³And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he set out next to apprehend Peter also. Now it was the days of Unleavened Bread⁴So when he had apprehended him, he sent him into prison, handing him over into the custody of four groups of four soldiers, intending to produce him to the people after the Passover⁵And so Peter was detained in prison. But prayers were being made without ceasing, by the Church, to God on his behalf⁶And when Herod was ready to produce him, in that same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, and was bound with two chains. And there were guards in front of the door, guarding the prison⁷And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood near, and a light shined forth in the cell. And tapping Peter on the side, he awakened him, saying, "Rise up, quickly." And the chains fell from his hands⁸Then the Angel said to him: "Dress yourself, and put on your boots." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your garment around yourself and follow me.⁹And going out, he followed him. And he did not know this truth: that this was being done by an Angel. For he thought that he was seeing a vision¹⁰And passing by the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city; and it opened for them by itself. And departing, they continued on along a certain side street. And suddenly the Angel withdrew from him¹¹And Peter, returning to himself, said: "Now I know, truly, that the Lord sent his Angel, and that he rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the people of the Jews were anticipating.

2 Timothy

Chapter 4

⁶For I am already being worn away, and the time of my dissolution presses close⁷I have fought the good fight. I have completed the course. I have preserved the faith⁸As for the remainder, a crown of justice has been reserved for me, one which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me in that day, and not only to me, but also to those who look forward to his return. Hurry to return to me soon¹⁷But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the preaching would be accomplished, and so that all the Gentiles would hear. And I was freed from the mouth of the lion¹⁸The Lord has freed me from every evil work, and he will accomplish salvation by his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen

Matthew

Chapter 16

¹³Then Jesus went into parts of Caesarea Philippi. And he questioned his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?¹⁴And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.¹⁵Jesus said to them, "But who do you say that I am?¹⁶Simon Peter responded by saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.¹⁷And in response, Jesus said to him: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father, who is in heaven¹⁸And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it¹⁹And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound, even in heaven. And whatever you shall release on earth shall be released, even in heaven.

Sermon

The readings today remind us of the power of faith and God’s providence in the face of adversity. In the first reading from Acts, we see Peter imprisoned by King Herod, but through the prayers of the Church and the intervention of an angel, Peter is miraculously freed. This story highlights the importance of prayer and trust in God’s plan, even when circumstances seem hopeless. The second reading from 2 Timothy finds Paul reflecting on his own struggles and persecutions, yet he remains steadfast in his faith, knowing that the Lord has stood with him and will bring him safely to eternal glory. Both readings emphasize the idea that our trials are not in vain and that God’s grace is sufficient to see us through. In the Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is, and Peter, inspired by divine revelation, confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. This confession is a turning point in the Gospel narrative, as it leads to Jesus declaring Peter as the rock upon which he will build his Church. This passage reminds us of the importance of faith and the role each of us plays in building up the Body of Christ. Just as Peter was called to be a foundation of the Church, we too are called to live out our faith with courage and fidelity. These readings invite us to reflect on our own trust in God and our commitment to living out our faith. Like Peter, we may face challenges and uncertainties, but we can take heart in knowing that God is always with us, guiding us and strengthening us. Let us pray for the grace to remain steadfast in our faith, to trust in God’s plan, and to bear witness to the truth of who Jesus is in our daily lives. May we, like Peter and Paul, be faithful disciples, confident in the knowledge that God’s power and love will ultimately prevail.