Daily Inspiration

“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  -Matthew 16:15-18
 
Repeatedly, we read in Scripture about Peter’s profession of Truth. Repeatedly, we read that Christ founded His church upon Peter, the rock. We read that the one Church will triumph in the war between man and the enemy. We read of presbyters and their role in binding or freeing of sin. We see the Holy Mass satisfying Jesus’ command, “Do this in memory of Me.”
 
Let’s turn to history and the writings of the earliest Church fathers. Historical records prove the early Catholic Church continued obeying Christ's commands and worshiping within the Holy Mass. Yet today, we have allowed ourselves to be divided into over 40,000 Christian denominations. 
 
I would offer all the members of the 40,000 denominations the opportunity to debate for a year which of them is the true Church. I would gladly follow if they unanimously, in complete agreement, could choose only one denomination as the true Church. But if they fail to choose only one, they must admit what everyone knew for nearly 1,500 years after Christ spoke those words, founding His Church under Peter and his successors. While all Christians are in partial union with the Church, we must understand there is but one Church founded by Jesus, and no divide, man, or scandal will prevail against Her.  
 
I pray that all who read this will look at it in the charity it is written. I do not write it to cause division, separation, or anger. I write it with love, hoping to place a spark that the Holy Spirit will breathe into a fire. I write this in the hope of uniting God’s children.
 
 Saint Peter the Apostle, Pope, pray for us.
 
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Jesus, I trust in you.