Homilies

“Peace to this household.” With these simple yet powerful words, Jesus teaches us precisely how we are to approach others. Notice that the first step of evangelization, the first moment of witnessing to Christ, is not a catechism quiz or a doctrinal declaration; it is an offer of peace, an opening of the heart. Peace prepares us for genuine communion. It allows us to sit down together at one table, to share a meal, and, in doing so, to encounter Christ himself.

In Caesarea Philippi, Christ posed a piercing question to his closest friends, a question that challenges each generation anew: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter’s bold reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” captures not merely a statement of belief, but a decisive moment of revelation, a recognition not shaped by human convenience but illuminated by divine grace.

Peter’s affirmation and Jesus’ subsequent response remind us that the Church is not a human invention, nor is it a mere institution subject to popular opinion or marketplace demands. Rather, it is Christ’s deliberate act, a divine gift structured to safeguard the purity of truth and the sanctity of the sacraments. The Church, as Christ established it upon Peter, remains steadfast precisely because it is rooted not in human preference but in heavenly authority.

Growing up, my family had a few cows. I will always remember one of them; her name was Annabelle. She was a pretty cow. Annabelle had beautiful red fur, two tiny nubs for horns, and was very sweet. She loved the taste of freshly mowed grass. Every time we mowed, I would pick up piles of grass and offer them to her. She ate it right out of my hands. She would even let me rub her head and pet her. Eventually, Annabelle had two calves, a boy and a girl. I named them Mickey and Minnie. Even though they were a bit skittish, I slowly got to where I could feed and pet them as well. Then, one day, Mickey was taken away. A few days later Mickey returned, wrapped in butcher paper and ready for grilling. I stopped naming the cows that day.