No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that Rock I’m clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

 

For some reason, that song keeps going round in my head, as I think about the Gospel for this week.  We hear Peter proclaim the great reveal—that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the World, the Messiah!  And Jesus makes them promise not to tell anyone.  What a disappointment!

We all have had the experience of being on the receiving end of the “don’t tell anyone” conversation. You know how difficult it is to keep a confidence.  You want to tell someone, but you cannot.  It is so tempting to tell just one other person—your spouse, your parent, your sibling, or your best friend.  It is thrilling to be able to share big news!

Jesus knew what he was doing, though.  He entrusted the Church to Peter and the disciples, and to their successors—the popes and faith-filled people throughout the ages.  His resurrection freed them to tell the Good News to the world.  Peter, Paul, and the rest of the disciples (maybe even Mary!) used the time-honored tradition of person-to-person ministry to tell the story of Christ’s saving ministry.  Their witness transformed the world.

Our Gospel today reminds us that Jesus counts on us to continue to build His Church. No longer are we to keep quiet, but we are to sing his praises—in the assembly, in our community, and in our world.  Indeed, filled with the Spirit of Jesus as we receive the Eucharist, how can we keep from singing?