You are Peter, and I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

Reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippines 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 Gospel of the Lord.

In the Gospel, God reveals His intimacy to Peter, and Peter accepts it on behalf of the “Church Bride.” Then the Lord also shows Peter his identity and the mission entrusted to him, giving him the keys to His house and showing him who he is called to be.

In faithfulness to God, He reveals His intimacy to me and shows me who I am: a child of God and the spouse of my partner, which is my mission. If I do not fulfill it, I will have lost my identity because, like Jesus, what identifies me is my origin (a child of God) and my mission (spouse).

The Lord reveals his intimacy to us in the sanctity of being spouses. By living in communion, we approach living in His and He will show us great treasures.

Andrew: It seems to me that our marriage is going reasonably well, but my wife disagrees. I don’t know what else I can do.

Marriage Mentor: Andrew, you are what she needs, but it is necessary to first know oneself in order to truly love, and we achieve this in our relationship with God. Then you will understand what you can offer to your wife. More than you think. The next step is to enter her intimacy, her world, and she will give you the keys to her heart. On that day, you will be able to help her on her path to holiness.

Andrew: Thank you. I really appreciate it because now I see how far I am from being a good husband.

Marriage Mentor: Saint John Paul II says that man has been given from the beginning the task of being a custodian of true love. That is the beautiful mission you have. If you fulfill it, God will show you great treasures for you and through you, to the world.

May we center our lives on the path of holiness prepared for us, so that we may reach the beauty and fullness He wants to show us. Praise be to God for creating something as beautiful as marriage. May we learn to accept it as the precious gift it is.