This blog follows the daily bible readings of the Catholic Church

Reading 1, Jeremiah 31:31-34

31 ‘Look, the days are coming, the Lord declares, when I shall make a new covenant with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah),

32 but not like the covenant I made with their ancestors the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt, a covenant which they broke, even though I was their Master, the Lord declares.

33 No, this is the covenant I shall make with the House of Israel when those days have come, the Lord declares. Within them I shall plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and they will be my people.

34 There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or brother, saying, “Learn to know the Lord!” No, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, says the Lord, since I shall forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind.’

This is one of the most precious promises of prophetic literature. The Jeremiah tradition (it may not simply have involved one person) reaches into the character of God to reveal the intimate relationship he desires with his people: his Law (which Jews identified with God himself) will dwell in each heart, no longer a commandment from outside, but rather a creative presence from within. If Christian people identify this with the gift of the Holy Spirit, they are right to do so, as long as they maintain the close relationship between inspiration and duty which is carried by the word Law in this passage. The new creation of which Paul speaks in Galatians is of just and loving people.

The indwelling of God, as it’s known in John’s Gospel, is the birthright of all people, not just of a spiritual elite, but requires preparatory disciplines, as the human heart is reluctant to open itself to the divine visitor. Ecstatic worship may be one of these, as in Pentecostal churches, but care must be taken that the heart is open to God and not to mere emotion. Solitary meditation may be one of these, but care must be taken that the heart is open to the neighbour and well as to God. Study of scripture may be one of these but care must be taken that the heart is open to God as much as the mind is open to words. Baptism will be one of these, but care must be taken that the believer’s attention is not deflected from God to the mechanics of church membership. Enough said.

Christians believe that God comes to dwell in human beings.

Gospel, Mt 16:13-23

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of man is?’

14 And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’

15 ‘But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’

16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

17 Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. 18 So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

St. Peter with images of faithfulness and betrayal

20 Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to say to anyone that he was the Christ.

21 From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day.

22 Then, taking him aside, Peter started to rebuke him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord,’ he said, ‘this must not happen to you.’

23 But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.’

Peter represents the community of disciples (the church), which is at once the bearer of true faith (You are the Christ) and the betrayer of true faith (this must not happen to you). There is no one other than the disciples to discover and carry the story of Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God, but they will continually deny him by their unwillingness that he or they should suffer. A God who has chosen the way of suffering love is left with the dilemma, that he has risked everything on people who may or may not be faithful.

If the Pope, or any believer, wants to hear the words, “You are Peter,” he must also hear, “Get behind me, Satan!”