Libation and Rock

A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy.

As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

This is the word of the Lord. 2 Timothy 4. 6-8, 17-18

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessèd are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

This is the gospel of Christ. Matthew 16. 13-19

Dulverton Sermon

In his second letter to Tmothy Paul describes himself as being "poured out as a libation" which means to become an offering to God. At a Roman meal in Paul's day there was a kind of mini sacrifice at the end when the host would offer and pour out a cup of wine to the gods. Towards the end of his life Paul, having offered all to God, is telling Timothy that he is now ready to pour out or to sacrifice his very life for God.

Today marks the end of a year which has been designated 'A Year of St Paul' commemorating the 2000th anniversary of his birth. He was obviously a foundation giant of our faith, a man of outstanding qualities particularly as a most effective and dynamic missionary evangelist and it is good to thank God for the work of grace in his life from which we continue, in the church, to benefit so much not least because he was the one who first carried the gospel from Asia to Europe.

In Matthew's gospel Jesus describes Peter as "the rock on which I will build my church". Chosen to be a foundation rock of the faith and the church he carried the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome where he became the first pope of the universal church. The 'Year of St Paul' has now given way to a 'Year for Priests' as the shepherd successors of St Peter. The year was inaugurated on 19th June when the church celebrates the shepherd heart of Jeus at the 'Feast of the Sacred Heart'.

Today marks the 38th anniversary of my priesting and I am delighted my parents chose to call me Peter. This year will also see another significant anniversary of a priest - the saintly Cure d'Ars, St Jean Vianney, who died 15o years ago on 4th August. His relics were brought to Rome for the inauguration of this 'Year for Priests' and at its close he will ebcome not only the patron of parish priests but patron saint of all the priests of the world.

Jean Vianney was born in 1786, near Lyons in France. He was not quick at study and had great difficulty in being accepted for ordination but when he was sent to the parish of Ars he transformed it by his preaching, his personal mortification, and his life of prayer and charity for all. He became p[articularly famous as a confessor and peopel of all ranks came to confide in him from every part of the globe.

It is good to thank God for the work of his grace in St Peter from which we also benefit so much in the church today not least in the apostolic succession of the priesthood. Our own ACS has recently adopted a new symbolic icon for its work of praying for priests and paying for them. It depicts a priest at the altar and has the slogan 'passionate for priesthood'.

The challenge of this feast day is not to pray for more ordained missionaries and ministers but for all Christians to stir up the gifts within them to be Christ's servants, evangelists, and carers both in the church and in the world of our day.

Generous is God's grace and generous should be our respopnse.