Have you ever wondered why Jesus gave St. Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven? Scripture shows us that Peter was deeply human. He often stumbled, lost trust in Christ, faltered at the crucifixion, and at times let his temper get the better of him. Remember when he cut off a soldier’s ear as Jesus was being taken to trial?

Peter was not perfect, but he was real. Though he struggled with doubt at times, he was guided by his faith in Christ. He was a fervent follower of Jesus and was so sorrowful when he fumbled with his mistakes. That is why Peter was chosen as the first Pope. The scripture says that to Peter were given the keys which admit or exclude a man from heaven, and that to Peter was given the power to absolve or not absolve a man from his sins. What a gift that God has given to us as

Roman Catholics. We often don’t realize how lucky we are. From the office of the Pope we find out if we are on the right path in life or not. People today have lost that faith, that fervor, gotten from the ages through the office of the Pope. We must rediscover that faith, which gives us certitude, comfort, and forgiveness for our sins through the ministry of the Pope. He is the Vicar of Christ on earth! How unfortunate that we have lessened our faith in the office of the Pope. It has been said that our fervor today now comes from politics. We worship ordinary men and women who do not represent God or faith. We worship political beliefs or groups that carry more weight for us than the community of believers, the Church. No wonder the world is in such a mess. We have the Pope who is the visible presence of Christ, whom we should follow and listen to; but we instead follow people who are either very rich or very entitled yet have no faith. Who carries the keys to eternal life? It’s an easy choice. Every time I see the Pope visiting people all over the world, to offer God’s blessing I feel more secure believing that God is with us. We should all pray for our Holy Father, that the good Lord protect him and keep him safe and healthy. He really is the only world leader that fully witnesses moral and spiritual comfort and hope!              ~ Fr. John