AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT

ll my many years as a Catholic I have never heard this phrase in the Petrine Text explained.   I am going back to the Pre-Vatican II Church in saying this since today it is almost impossible to hear the full Petrine text explained except in some mumblings about the Faith of Peter which largely ignore his place as head of the Church.   I suppose it has something to do with ecumenism where we are more interested in pleasing Protestants than teaching Catholics.  

So let me take a stab as a layman to explain scripture since nobody else in interested in doing so.  The Gates of Hell protect the Kingdom of Evil in this world.  It holds sway over so many and do you remember when Jesus in the desert was tempted by the Devil the Lord was offered all of these Kingdoms by Satan.    When Jesus founded his Church it was His army in His Kingdom who would fight against the world and conquer it, making it truly the Kingdom of Heaven.   It would batter down the gates of that evil Kingdom.  

Of course, we are not talking about using swords and guns, but a spiritual battle where the Church would through its inherent holiness and the graces given to it by Christ build this Kingdom.  But to do this it would have to have belief or Faith that it could.   Do you remember when the disciples were battling against the storm and Jesus lay sleeping.   They woke Jesus crying "Lord save us or we perish".  Jesus rebuked them as men of little Faith.  Since he was with them why did they not just get on with their job and know that they would be safe they would overcome the storm.   Now that is where the Church finds itself today, instead of having Faith in their mission to clean up the mess in the world everyone is calling on God to do something.  Just pray and all will be well.   No, it will not.  The Church has been given everything by God necessary for its task.   And just look at the mess and think of the contribution a Church of little Faith.   Young people no longer live in chastity and preparation for marriage.  Well what can the Church do - how can it possibly teach Chastity - God do something is the cry.   Look at the babies being aborted - come on God do something.    Most couples now live in sin and never marry - God do something will you.   Then there are the unforgotten ones who barely get a mention on prayer - the children born to single parents who have a series of uncles.   The children who are victims of divorce and hurt so much yet are ignored.  The children in care who are almost guaranteed a life of poverty as the Prime Minister recently said and yes, 75% or prostitutes  were formerly in care.   But that is the way things are what can we do?   Well let us just ignore them and get  on with the popular causes.   Were children even mentioned at the Synod on the Family, well maybe they were but who is interested - it has nothing to do with us.   As we sit comfortably waiting for God and being nice to Him, will the Gates of Heaven prevail against the assaults of Satan?   Not until we start again reading the Petrine Text and stop kidding ourselves.

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