Restoration renewal and authority

The psalmist from the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary prays for a new spirit and the restoration of joy in the celebration of the salvation offered by God. The passage from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah tells of the plan of God to restore the relationship with Judah and Israel. The prophet tells of a new Covenant which Friar Jude Winkler describes as being internalized and which provides the joy sought in Psalm 51 from the core of the person. The indwelling Spirit resonates with the Spirit of God as when Peter responds to the query of Jesus at Caesarea Philippi. Peter proclaims Jesus as the Christ, Son of the Living God. Jesus confirms that this proclamation comes from the Father through Peter. The time of Matthew, the evangelist, in Antioch was a time of emergence of a recognized Church separate from the synagogue. Friar Jude describes the role of the rabbi to determine the requirements for living in the Jewish tradition. The rabbinical authority to loose and bind is given to Peter in this passage. The conclusion of the excerpt from Matthew today illustrates how we can misstep when we have authority or our personal ambitions interfere. Peter is chastised by Jesus for proposing that the Will of the Father be ignored as they move toward Jerusalem and Jesus suffering and death.