On this rock I will build my Church
As I write this post, I am 33,000ft airborne on the first leg of my pilgrimage and holiday to London and France. There I hope to experience a retreat, visit cathedrals and enjoy a wonderful holiday with Sandee, my daughter and her family.
When I think of the pilgrimage, it is truly astonishing that I plan to stay at a Benedictine monastery in France and visit cathedrals there and in London. Since Jesus conducted his ministry thousands of miles away in the Middle East and I grew up in the Christian faith even further away in the Caribbean.
This all confirms Jesus words in this week’s Gospel Matthew 16:13-19 ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of hell can never hold out against it.’
What started out with a few fishermen in a village in Palestine has grown into a Church that encompasses the world. Jesus’ Church has indeed been built on rock and after 2,000 years the gates of hell has not held out against it.
How truly blessed we are to be part of this mystical and natural organization open to all who wish to be part of Jesus’ Church. I marvel at how this Church—visible in stone cathedrals, in quiet monasteries, and in the hearts of believers across continents—has grown through the centuries.
His Church, founded on the rock of Peter, has stood firm through the ages, offering salvation to countless souls across generations and continents. Like a steady lighthouse amidst the storms of life, it has been a source of deep consolation in times of grief, a wellspring of hope in moments of despair, and a guidepost for those seeking truth and meaning.
Through its sacraments, teachings, and community, the Church has nurtured our spiritual growth and drawn us into a more profound intimacy with God—inviting each heart into the mystery of divine love and the promise of eternal life.
As I prepare to land and step into the sacred spaces of this pilgrimage, I carry with me the awareness that I do not walk alone. I walk with the faith community of His Church.
May the beauty and history of the Church in these lands stir within me a greater love for the living Church back home. I look forward to sharing the graces of this journey with you, the Church, in the weeks ahead.