2 /21/13

Lectio: :Mt 16.13-19

Meditatio: "I [Jesus] will give you [Peter] 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."

Mt 16.19

Oratio: "O God, You know our need to have a source of authority to guide us in Your ways.

I remember Your Son appointed Peter as the authority figure when He gave to Peter the keys to Your kingdom.

Grant that I may be always attentive to the Pope for he is the successor to Peter and he is our sure guide to You and to Your ways.

I ask these and all things through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the

Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: Keep silence and remain in recollection for a few minutes.

Operatio: reflect on "keys"; at the time of Christ the symbol of authority; by the 4^th century, the chair became the symbol; tomorrow we celebrate the Chair of St. .Peter and in doing so we are celebrating the Papacy and the unity and certainty the Papacy is for us in matters of faith and morals.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 5.43-48