The Rock- August 14, 2026

Happy Friday!

Our Gospel for this Sunday is famous – the institution of Peter as head of the College of Apostles. Simon gains the nickname “Peter,” meaning the Rock. I used to be rather indifferent to this nickname until my spiritual director mentioned it in one of our sessions. He had been reading a rabbinic commentary on this episode and learned something that absolutely floored me.

There is a rabbinic tradition that says that at the creation of the world, the earth was a trackless waste, which of course, was water: “The Spirit breathed over the waters.” The tradition states that the waters came from an eternal fountain in the heart of the earth, erupting from an immense geyser. To separate the land from the water, God took a stone from his throne, plugged the geyser, and founded the earth on that stone. From there he creates the rest of what we see, finally ending with the creation of man to whom he gives authority over creation.

Fast forward to this conversation with Peter, the rock/stone. Jesus tells Peter that upon this rock he would build his Church. The Church is the new creation, as we know from Scripture: the new people of God, a new earth, a new day, a saved world. Just as the first creation was founded on the rock from God’s throne, the new creation, established in the Pascal Mystery, was founded on the Rock of Peter. Peter became an integral part in the new creation! And as God gave Adam authority over every creature, so Jesus gave authority over all creation to Peter: Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.  

In a parable, Jesus tells us of the fool who built his house on sand and the wise man who built his on rock. Clearly, Jesus’ wisdom included building his Church on rock – Peter. Whenever we find ourselves doubting the Church or her leaders, let us always remember that Jesus knows what he is doing. When he calls us to mission, he takes our weakness into account, just as he took Peter’s into account. We are an integral part of the new creation. So let us ask for the grace to trust in the Lord’s plan for us!

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley