Di Keys of di Kingdom

August 4, 2022
Thursday for di Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Readings for Today

Saint Jean Vianney (di Curé of Ars), Priest—Memorial

Listen for English

“So I dey tell you, you be Peter, and na on top dis rock I go build My Church, and di gates of di world of di dead no go fit overcome am. I go give you di keys to di Kingdom of heaven. Anything wey you bind for earth go dey bound for heaven; and anything wey you loose for earth go dey loosed for heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19

Di passage wey follow na from My Catholic Faith!, Chapter 7:

So, na just praise Jesus dey praise Peter, to make Peter feel say e important? Na just thank Jesus dey thank Peter because Peter acknowledge who He really be? Or Jesus dey do something wey pass that? He dey make Peter promise wey go come true one day? Na this last one be di truth. Jesus dey tell Peter say e go become di rock foundation of di Church, and say Peter go get one special spiritual power of di Keys of Heaven. Ah! Wetin a wonderful gift that one be!

Jesus talk say, “Anything wey you kee for earth, dem go kee am for Heaven…” This one no be small gift to get. We suppose take this as promise wey Jesus really make to Peter, exactly as He talk am. So, when Jesus establish His Church, when He “breathe” on di Apostles after His Resurrection, He also give Peter this gift wey He don promise: di authority wey high pass inside His Church–di power to kee and to loose.

I dey sure say, for beginning, Peter no fully understand this special gift. Maybe as di Church begin grow, within di first few years, di Holy Spirit remind di other Apostles say Jesus talk this thing. Maybe di Holy Spirit remind Peter too, as e dey humble himself, say Jesus talk this thing. And as time dey go, no doubt say Peter begin accept this special gift of authority wey high pass, and take am as im own. Di first clear place wey we see am use this authority na for Acts 15, for di Council of Jerusalem, when disagreement dey about circumcision. After dem don debate well-well, Peter stand up and talk with authority. From there, others follow, and we see say di matter wey dem dey debate come clear and dem settle am.

From that time, di Apostles continue their work to teach, shepherd and make people holy. Later, Peter go Rome to preach and become di first bishop for there. Na for Rome e die, and na every person wey succeed Apostle Peter for Rome receive this special gift of di authority wey high pass inside di Church. Surely, Jesus no intend make this gift of authority wey high pass last only as long as Peter dey alive. Na why we see say this authority pass on to all di people wey succeed am, wey be di bishops of Rome. And na why we dey call our Church di Roman Catholic Church. One interesting thing be say, if Peter for go Malta, or Jerusalem, or Asia, today we for most likely get Malta, or Jerusalem, or Asian Catholic Church instead. So, di main reason why di Church be Roman na because na there Peter go, and so, na there di authority wey high pass dey.

Over di centuries, we don come understand this special gift of authority wey high pass, and we don define am more clearly. E mean say St. Peter, and all di people wey succeed am, get complete authority wey dem fit use directly to teach with final certainty about faith and morals, and to govern, or shepherd, according to di mind and will of Christ. So, if di pope talk say something na true concerning faith or morals, then, to talk am plain, na true. And if e make decision about how to govern di Church, then, to put am simply, na wetin God want make dem do be that. E simple like that.

This gift of authority wey high pass, concerning teaching about faith and morals, na wetin dem dey call “infallibility.” Dem dey use am for different ways. Di most powerful way wey dem dey use am na when di pope speak “ex cathedra” or, “from di chair.” This one mean, as symbol, from di chair of Peter. For this case, e dey teach wetin dem dey call “dogma” of di faith. Every dogma na true and certain, and our faith require make we believe am.

Lord, I thank You for di gift of Your glorious Catholic Church! I pray make I always remain faithful to everything wey You reveal through Your Church, and I pray make di leaders of Your Church, especially di pope, always try to grow every day for holy life. Jesus, na You I trust.

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