it." (Matt. xvi. 17, 18.) Observe, 1. Christ gives him a name suitable to his office. 2. Upon him He founds His Church militant, and appoints him the visible head. 3. He promises infallibility to this Church, so that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. 4. He promises him the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; that is, the key of knowledge, to determine matters of faith without error, and the key of power to remit sin. Rejoice for these privileges granted to the chief pastor, for your particular good, and the general good of the whole Church.
III. In what a miserable state are those who deny the supremacy of St. Peter, and will not build upon the rock, which cannot fail, but ground their hopes of eternal salvation on the sand of their own private, fallible, and treacherous judgments! Endeavor as much as you can to bring all men to this rock of salvation; at least pray, that all may acknowledge the one Shepherd, and be members of the one sheepfold; but first prepare yourself by solid virtue.
SATURDAY.
Christ Reprehends Peter.
I. After St. Peter's confession of his Master's divinity, our Lord charged His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ (Matt. xvi. 20), both to give us an example of great humility and to avoid ostentation. Besides, the proper time for the revelation of this mystery, had not yet arrived. Immediately afterward He began to treat of His passion. " From that time forth Jesus began to show His disciples, that He
