by Fr. John Martin Shimkus, O.S.B.


“I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church . . .”

     Perhaps there is no more contentious statement in the New Testament than this one.  We Catholics use it to justify the authority of the Pope.  Protestants consider it a reference to the faith of the Apostles rather than to any one individual.  Others see it at odds with the humble ideals of God’s kingdom (“Blessed are the poor in spirit”) and even question whether Jesus said it at all!  Whatever our preferred “angle” may be, I think it is possible to step beyond the polemics and arrive at a richer appreciation of the meaning of this verse.

     There is no doubt that a word like “rock” was meant by to denote something of permanence and strength.  This “rock” is not a small stone or pebble; it is a powerful and solid reality that stands the test of time and stands up to anyone who opposes it.  One thinks of the mighty “rock” of a tall mountain; one imagines not only the visible height of such a “rock” but also the depths of its “roots” plunging deep into the earth.

     It is the same for the “rock” on which the Church is built.  This rock has very real and lofty elements: the faith of its members, the authority of its visible shepherds, the holy office of Peter and his successors.  Yet its ultimate stability is not rooted in human beings, but in the deepest reality of all: the enduring presence of Christ Himself.  The Church is Christ’ Body, Christ’s Bride.  He is its Head, its divine Source, its eternal Foundation.  Christ is the Rock to which the Church clings, and our faith in Him translates into faith in His Church, which He promised will stand until salvation has been proclaimed to every human person!

Lord Jesus, thank You for being the eternal strength of Your holy people!  

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