Thursday, December 4, 2014

Thursday, Advent I: "the LORD is an eternal Rock"

Christ is the first gift, the perfect gift and eternal sign and source of the Father's love. In the Church we continue to benefit from the gift of the Lord on the first Christmas through the means of salvation He established in and through His Churchj. These gifts include the Apostles together with Peter. Peter was the first pope, whose faith and person form part of the solid rock foundation upon which we build our live sin this world with a view to eternity. "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

Simon Peter holds the first place in the college of the Twelve; Jesus entrusted a unique mission to him. Through a revelation from the Father, Peter had confessed: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Our Lord then declared to him: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." Christ, the "living Stone", thus assures his Church, built on Peter, of victory over the powers of death. Because of the faith he confessed Peter will remain the unshakable rock of the Church. His mission will be to keep this faith from every lapse and to strengthen his brothers in it.
-- CCC 552

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