THE CONCHO PADRE POST

Gospel Mt 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
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.”

The Roman Lectionary

“‘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.’ Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah,” (Mt. 16:17-19). [1]

Today we celebrate the feast of the Chair of St. Peter. The celebration commemorates the years St. Peter served as the bishop of Rome. As Pope John Paul II explained, “It sheds light on the special ministry of strengthening and guiding the Church in the unity of the faith which the Lord entrusted to the Head of the Apostles.” Today we are encouraged to pray that the Church in all its different “cultures, languages, and traditions will be unanimous in believing and professing the truths of faith and morals.” This mystery of unity, he explains, comes from “fixing our gaze on Christ.”

From DivineOffice.org

Gospel MT 7:7-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things
to those who ask him.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets.”

The Roman Lectionary

Pope Benedict XVI has experienced dangerous spikes in his blood pressure and has been advised by his doctor to avoid air travel, according to a report by veteran Vatican journalist Marco Tosatti.

Tosatti said that the Pope’s medical condition shows “a progressive deterioration of his health and his energy” that explains the Pontiff’s decision to resign. The Italian journalist said that the Pope has suffered from insomnia, has almost completely lost vision in his left eye, and has fallen out of bed several times. Tosatti said that the Pope had been specifically advised by his doctor against making the overseas flight to Brazil for World Youth Day this summer.

Tosatti’s report, although it is unconfirmed, matches earlier statements by the German journalist Peter Seewald, who said that the Pope’s physical condition was alarming. Seewald had also said that the Pope was losing vision in one eye; the German reporter added that Benedict XVI has lost weight dramatically.

The Vatican has insisted that no particular medical condition prompted the Pope’s decision to resign. But the Holy Father himself cited a general decline in strength and energy as the reason for his decision.

On a personal note, I saw the Holy Father in January of this year, and remarked to people around me that he did not look good at all.

The Concho Padre

Vatican City, 20 February 2013 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., responding to journalists’ questions, commented that the Holy Father is considering the publication of a Motu Proprio in the coming days, obviously before the beginning of the Sede Vacante, to clarify a few particular points regarding the Apostolic Constitution on the conclave that have arisen over the last years.

“I don’t know if he will deem it necessary or appropriate,” he added, “to elucidate the question of the opening date of the conclave. We will have to see if and when a document is published. It seems to me, for example, the clarification of some details in order to be in complete agreement with another document regarding the conclave, that is, the Ordo Rituum Conclavis. In any case, the question depends on the Pope’s judgement and if this document comes about it will be made known through the proper channels.”

Vatican Information Service