Archive for June 28, 2025

The Apostles’ Church: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

Posted: June 28, 2025 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Readings:

Acts 12:1–11
Psalm 34:2–3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9
2 Timothy 4:6–8, 17–18
Matthew 16:13–19

This Sunday’s celebration of the great Apostles Peter and Paul is a celebration of the Church. Peter’s deliverance from jail is compared to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Like Israel, he is rescued at Passover from “the hand” of his enemy by an “angel of the Lord” after girding himself with belt, sandals, and cloak (see Exodus 3:8; 12:11; 14:19).

As Peter affirms in his great confession of faith in Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is “the Christ,” the Messiah for whom the prophets had taught Israel to hope. But He is more than what the Jewish people had been hoping for.

He is the Christ, but He is also, as Peter confesses, “the Son of the living God.” Born of the flesh of the Jewish people, He is a son of Abraham and David (see Matthew 1:1; Romans 1:3). Through Him and the Church founded on the rock of Peter’s faith, God fulfills the promise He made to Abraham: to bless all nations in his seed (see Genesis 22:16–18).

What Christ calls “my Church” is the new Israel, the kingdom of God, the family made up of all peoples—Jews and Gentiles—who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (see Galatians 3:26–29; 6:15–16). And we must make this confession our own. Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” is addressed to each of us personally.

We must confess our faith in Christ not only with our tongues but with our lives. As Paul describes his discipleship in this week’s Epistle, we must make our lives an oblation, an offering of love for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom (see Romans 12:1).

We know, as we sing in this week’s Psalm, that the Lord has rescued us in Christ Jesus. We know that He will stand by us, giving us strength to face every evil—and that He will bring us to the heavenly kingdom we anticipate in this Eucharist.

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: June 28, 2025 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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How do we remain steadfast in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ? How do we want to be seen as servants of our loving savior?

First we must be tapped to our vine, one in Holy Communion with Him and with one another. Only then can all that we say and do be life giving, life affirming. Our mouths will utter our Lord’s wisdom.

Then we shall remain in Him and He in us, bearing fruit a plenty. Amen

Saint Irenaeus, Bishop, Immaculate heart of Mary pray for us… 


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First reading
2 Timothy 2:22-26


A servant of the Lord has to be kind to everyone and gentle when he corrects people

Fasten your attention on holiness, faith, love and peace, in union with all those who call on the Lord with pure minds. Avoid these futile and silly speculations, understanding that they only give rise to quarrels; and a servant of the Lord is not to engage in quarrels, but has to be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. He has to be gentle when he corrects people who dispute what he says, never forgetting that God may give them a change of mind so that they recognise the truth and come to their senses, once out of the trap where the devil caught them and kept them enslaved.

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Gospel
John 17:20-26


Father, may they be completely one

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
Father, may they be one in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me
and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.’