There we stood; at the gaping mouth of the cave known as The Gates of Hell.
Jesus declared in today’s Gospel, “You are Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
With these few words Jesus promises to protect the Church and all it brings to life that is good, beautiful and true. During this time Jesus also recognizes in Peter the special grace of leadership and loyalty to the Lord.
All of this gives us hope: Christ has overturned the order of sin and death and offers us grace through the Church. And he chooses ordinary people – people who are not yet perfect – to be his disciples.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, “He doesn’t call us to be successful, he calls us to be faithful.” How does that line resonate with your family? With your family talk about the importance of being faithful compared to being successful.
God bless you and your family during this holy season of Lent.
