Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News

The last Mass of the pilgrimage...

Already a number of group had gone as we celebrated the Mass for Evangelisation of Peoples at the Church of Santa Maria Liberatrice which was near our hotel...

Philippians 3:17-4:1

My brothers and sisters, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. 

For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.

So then, my brothers, sisters and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.

I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.

Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.

Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor one called, the Lord heard me
and rescued me from all my distress.

The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
They are happy who seek refuge in him.

John 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves their life loses it;
anyone who hates their life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If anyone serves me, they must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour them.’

Reflection

Paul wrote to the Philippians, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. And haven't we seen this on our pilgrimage as we have seen models of faith, hope and love on our journey... I'm not talking about the saints we met... I'm talking about us, those who reached out to those with mobility issues, those who offered encouraging words and a listening ear, those who went the extra mile. We have all seen these acts of faith, hope and love which is befitting for those on the great hikoi, the great journey and pilgrimage of life. 

Paul reminds us of destination...  For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe. Our ultimate destination is love for we were created in love to love... And when we get there the whole idea is our hearts become one with the heart of God in that state where there is no bitterness, in anger, no divisions... And so life becomes the great apprenticeship of love.

And that way of love asks of us dying to ourselves as Jesus said to his disciples: I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves their life loses it. And he didn't just say it he did it... His agony in garden was just not about the fear of suffering, it was also about the giving up of his great love of his own life and relationships, of losing the contact of his mother, his friends, and human life itself. But his love for the Father and each of us is so much greater and he gave him self freely to take us on the journey with him to greater love.

We have seen that self-giving love in the lives of the saints we have met on the journey. But they are gone, and now it is our turn, for each of us is called to be a saint, real people, passionate about the Lord and those they encounter on the journey. Holiness is after all about loving God, neighbour, the gift of our own life and the creation we are part of. And we do that together as God's holy people, being companions of the journey...

As we go our separate ways we know we still journey together as the pilgrim people of God so let us make today's psalm our own and our prayer for each other, 

May we bless the Lord at all times, 

his praise always on our lips; 

Glorify the Lord with me, 

Together let us praise his name. 

Look towards him and be radiant. 

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven, 

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity 

enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

reawaken in us the blessed hope 

for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us

into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within 

both humanity and the whole cosmos

in the sure expectation 

of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, 

Pilgrims of Hope,

a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread 

the joy and peace of our Redeemer

throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed, 

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

To the tomb of Peter

It was an early morning start to be at St Peter's basilica by 7.00am for an 7.15am Mass... Unfortunately there were 1000s ahead of us and it took ages to get through the bag-check meaning we well and truly missed our allocated time. Thankfully numerous others had exactly the same issue and thanks to our Italian tour co-ordinator we were able to start Mass at 8.35am in one of the chapels below the main level of the basilica... 

The site of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City holds unparalleled significance for the Catholic Church and for Christianity as a whole. It is the burial place of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Bishop of Rome and leader of the early Church. According to ancient tradition, after his martyrdom by crucifixion under Emperor Nero around 64 AD, Peter was buried in a necropolis on the Vatican Hill. Over time, his tomb became a place of veneration for early Christians.

In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine the Great ordered the construction of a grand basilica over Peter’s tomb, marking the site as a sacred center of Christian worship. This original basilica stood for over a millennium before being replaced in the 16th century by the current St. Peter’s Basilica.

Its construction began in 1506 under Pope Julius II and was completed in 1626 during the papacy of Urban VIII. The project brought together some of the greatest artists and architects of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Donato Bramante was the original architect, envisioning a grand central dome. After his death, the design evolved under successors including Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, and most notably Michelangelo, who took over in 1547. Michelangelo refined the design and created the iconic dome, which remains one of the largest in the world.

Following Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana completed the dome in 1590. The nave and façade were later finished by Carlo Maderno, who extended the church into a Latin cross layout and added the grand façade in 1614. Gian Lorenzo Bernini contributed significantly to the interior and the surrounding St. Peter’s Square, designing the majestic baldachin over the papal altar and the sweeping colonnades.

Beneath the high altar of the present basilica lies the Confessio, a sunken area that allows pilgrims to view the believed location of St. Peter’s tomb. In 1939, during renovations in the Vatican Grottoes following the death of Pope Pius XI, workers accidentally uncovered an ancient Roman necropolis beneath the basilica. This led to a major archaeological excavation, and was spurred on by the fear that Hilter would invade the Vatican. Known as the Vatican Necropolis Excavations, these continued for over a decade. Archaeologists discovered a complex of mausoleums and a small shrine known as the Trophy of Gaius, built in the 2nd century over what was believed to be Peter’s grave. Early Christian writer Gaius had referred to this site, stating, “I can show you the trophies of the apostles,” referring to Peter and Paul.

Behind a red wall near the shrine, archaeologists found a niche containing bones wrapped in purple and gold cloth. A remarkable inscription nearby read “Petros eni”—Greek for “Peter is here.” Scientific analysis of the bones revealed they belonged to a robust man in his 60s, consistent with Peter’s age at death. In 1968, Pope Paul VI declared that the remains had been “identified in a way that we can hold to be convincing.”

This discovery reaffirmed the ancient tradition that St. Peter was buried on Vatican Hill and deepened the spiritual significance of St. Peter’s Basilica. The presence of his relics beneath the high altar, directly under Michelangelo’s great dome, symbolizes the Church’s foundation on Peter, the “rock” upon whom Christ said He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18). The words “Peter is here” continue to echo as a powerful testimony to the enduring legacy of the apostolic faith.

In St. Peter’s Square stands the ancient Vatican Obelisk, a 25-meter-high Egyptian monument brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula in 37 AD. Once standing in Nero’s Circus—where Peter was martyred—it now serves as a silent witness to the birth of Christianity. Its placement at the heart of the square, aligned with the basilica’s entrance, symbolizes the triumph of the Christian faith over paganism and the enduring legacy of the Church built upon Peter, the “rock.” 

Mass was celebrated in the Chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa

1 Peter 5:1-4

Now I have something to tell your elders: I am an elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and with you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed. Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow. When the chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

Reflection

Isn't Peter the most unlikely of candidates to be the rock on which Jesus built his Church.

He was always getting it wrong but at the same time he remained passionate in his love for Jesus.

I love the Gospel we have used today of the Mass of the Chair of Peter... ‘But you,’ Jesus said ‘who do you say I am?’ It's aa question Peter desperately wanted to get right and it's a question that will determine our relationship with Jesus too... but it is not Peter he "gets" the answer.... it was revealed by Jesus' Father in heaven. It is as if there was suddenly a burst of inspiration bursting up in Peter but a spring gushing forth. For those who travelled with me to Caesarea Philippi, this shrine of the gods, springs bursting forth with life giving water are everywhere... and Jesus is the living water gushing forth within us.

But immediately after this passage Jesus talks of his forthcoming rejection, his death and resurrection, and Peter the rock announces to Jesus this cannot happen to him. Get behind me Satan, Jesus replied, for you are thinking in a human way, not God's way. Jesus chooses the most unlikely.

We see Peter getting it wrong in the Garden of Gethsemene when he runs and then later at the High Priest's palace, when he says I don't know him, I don't know him, I tell you I don't know him despite Jesus prediction that this very thing would happen. Jesus dealt with that at the early one morning at the Sea of Galilee when the Apostle John recognised it was Jesus who had said throw out your nets for a catch. Peter hadn't twigged but being the impetuous man he was he dived into the lake and swam ashore. But there was still the issue of the three denials. Jesus solves that by simply asking, Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love? They are questions for us too. Jesus chooses the most unlikely.

And he commissioned Peter to 'feed my lambs', to 'look after my sheep' and to 'feed my sheep.' The abundance of the fishing catch is replaced by being a shepherd, to go into the wilderness where there are wolves and thieves that want to kill and steal. That's where he must live in the midst of hardship and temptation.

Jesus chooses the unlikely and the unlikely one says to the elders and to us, the unlikely ones of today who all have people we shepherd in life,  Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow. When the chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.

Be a good shepherd to others. 

In our age we have so many who have criticised the various Popes entrusted to lead the Church. They think they know better, better even than the Pope. But I think we have had incredible Popes in our time. Unlikely in their own way but it has been incredible how the Lord has worked through them. I have had two Popes ask me to pray for them...

So we pray...

St Peter, pray for our Pope

Pray for us on te ara o te tūmanako - the way of hope

 

The tomb of St Peter

Saint Pope John Paul II

St Pope John XXIII

The from the outside unassuming Cistene Chapel - we visited it later - strictly no photos inside

St Peter’s words for the way of hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith... may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Christ is the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house... For you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people at all and now you are the People of God; once you were outside the mercy and now you have been given mercy. 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10

Following the Mass we visited the Vatican Museums... the crowds were unbelievable! Exhausted pilgrims were happy to get back to our accommodation for a final meal and farewells.

The Seeds of the Martyrs

Wednesday morning saw the pilgrimage group go to the general audience with Pope Leo in St Peter's Square...  Meanwhile I had met him one on one earlier and then had a meeting with Cardinal Tagle...

I met up with the group at the Colesseum... 

As I was preparing this post it struck me how how the Colesseum was a blood thristy place, where animals and people alike were killed for entertainment...

Now so many movies, TV programmes and video games also kill for entertainment...

Maybe we haven't changed as much as we would like to think we have...

Mass was celebrated in the church of St Clemente (St Clement) the fourth Pope after Peter, Linus and Cletus... He served as Bishop of Rome in the late first century, around 88–99 AD. He is revered as one of the Apostolic Fathers, a group of early Christian writers who had direct contact with the apostles or their immediate disciples. His life and writings reflect a deep commitment to Church unity, humility, and fidelity to Christ.

Clement is best known for his Letter to the Corinthians, written to address divisions within the Christian community in Corinth. In this letter, he emphasizes the importance of harmony, obedience to Church authority, and the example of Christ’s humility. His words reveal a spirituality grounded in service, peace, and the belief that the Church is a divinely ordered body.

Tradition holds that Clement was martyred under Emperor Trajan, exiled to the Crimea and eventually drowned with an anchor tied around his neck. This anchor became one of his symbols, representing steadfast faith in the face of persecution.

The Basilica of San Clemente in Rome is dedicated to him and stands as a powerful testament to his legacy. Beneath the current 12th-century church lie layers of earlier Christian worship spaces, including a 4th-century basilica and a 1st-century Roman house believed to be the site of early Christian gatherings.

The current basilica of San Clemente

Frescoes from the 4th century basilica well below the current basilica

the 4th century basilica

A 1st century pagan temple below the 4th century basilica

Inside what is thought to be St Clement's house where Eucharist would have been celebrated

We celebrated the Mass for the Roman Martyrs

Readings for Mass

Romans 8:31-39

With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us – he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.

Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. As scripture promised: For your sake we are being massacred daily, and reckoned as sheep for the slaughter. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If the Lord had not been on our side
when they rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.

Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept
the raging waters.

Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Matthew 24:4-13

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Take care that no one deceives you; because many will come using my name and saying, “I am the Christ,” and they will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars; do not be alarmed, for this is something that must happen, but the end will not be yet. For nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes here and there. All this is only the beginning of the birth-pangs.

‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. And then many will fall away; people will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise; they will deceive many, and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most people will grow cold; but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.’

Reflection

The Church of San Clemente offers us a metaphor for the journey we have been on... we have descended from the current church, to the basilica of the 4th century and then down to the 1st century.

And here we are with the saints of the 1st century... In the altar here are relics of St Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch. From the lectern here we heard the words of Paul to the Romans and Jesus own words on the persecution his followers would face... They will hand you over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. And then many will fall away; people will betray one another and hate one another. Jesus just didn't warn his future followers about this... he experienced it himself and so he stands beside persecuted Christians down through the ages, those persecuted and marytred here, just a few metres away at the Colosseum. 

Then we come up to the next level and the saints of France we met who experienced and came soon  after the French revolution... they too knew what is was to be tortured and put to death. They knew what it was to be hated. They saw many fall away and people betraying one another. 

And then we come up to our level - and our time. Just up the hill from here, is the Irish College where I lived when studying in Rome - behind the altar there is a mosaic on the wall of the saints of the Irish College including one Ragheed Ganni who in 2007 in Iraq was martyred along with three deacons. The tragedy of our time is Christians are still persecuted and martyred for their faith.  

Throughout the centuries, Paul's letter to the persecuted Church of Rome has given persecuted Christians hope, for nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. As scripture promised: For your sake we are being massacred daily, and reckoned as sheep for the slaughter. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

May the seeds of faith sown by the martyrs give us hope in our trials and struggles so that at the end of our pilgrim journey of faith, hope and love we may shine with them in glory. 

St Clement’s words for the way of hope

Grant unto us, Lord, that we may set our hope on Your name

...and open the eyes of our hearts, that we may know You.

We beseech You, Lord and Master, to be our help and comfort. Save those among us who are in tribulation; have mercy on the lowly; lift up the fallen; show Yourself to those in need; heal the sick; turn again the wanderers of Your people; feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners; raise up the weak; comfort the faint-hearted.

Love admits no schisms: love gives rise to no seditions: love does all things in harmony.

From a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement I, Pope

Beloved, how blessed and wonderful are God’s gifts! There is life everlasting, joy in righteousness, truth in freedom, faith, confidence, and self-control in holiness. And these are the gifts that we can comprehend; what of all the others that are being prepared for those who look to him. Only the Creator, the Father of the ages, the All-Holy, knows their grandeur and their loveliness. And so we should strive to be found among those who wait for him so that we may share in these promised gifts. And so we should strive to be found among those who wait for him so that we may share in these promised gifts. And how is this to be, beloved brothers and sisters? It will come about if by our faith our minds remain fixed on God; if we aim at what is pleasing and acceptable to him, if we accomplish what is in harmony with his faultless will and follow the path of truth, rejecting all injustice, viciousness, covetousness, quarrels, malice and deceit.

This is the path, beloved, by which we find our salvation, Jesus Christ, the high priest of our sacrifices, the defender and ally in our helplessness. It is through him that we gaze on the highest heaven, through him we can see the reflection of God’s pure and sublime countenance, through him the eyes of our hearts have been opened, through him our foolish and darkened understanding opens toward the light, and through him the Lord has willed that we should taste everlasting knowledge. He reflects God’s majesty and is as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.

Let us then serve in his army, following his blameless commands with all our might. The great cannot exist without the small nor the small without the great; they blend together to their mutual advantage. Take the body, for example. The head is nothing without the feet, just as the feet are nothing without the head. The smallest parts of our body are necessary and valuable to the whole. All work together and are mutually subject for the preservation of the whole body.

Our entire body, then will be preserved in Christ Jesus, and each of us should be subject to our neighbour in accordance with the grace given to each. The stronger should care for the weak, and the weak should respect the stronger. The wealthy should give to the poor, and the poor man should thank God that he has sent him someone to supply his needs. The wise should manifest their wisdom not in words but in good deeds, and the humble should not talk about their own humility, but allow others to bear witness to it. Since, therefore, we have all this from him, we ought to thank him for it all. Glory to him for ever. Amen

From St Ignatius of Antioch's letter to the Romans

I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.

No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.

The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers and sisters. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back to the world. Do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God. If you have him in your heart, you will understand what I wish. You will sympathise with me because you will know what urges me on.

The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God’s side. Do not talk about Jesus Christ as long as you love this world. Do not harbour envious thoughts. And supposing I should see you, if then I should beg you to intervene on my behalf, do not believe what I say. Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has been crucified, and there is no yearning in me for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: “Come to the Father.” I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world. I want only God’s bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.

I am no longer willing to live a merely human life, and you can bring about my wish if you will. Please, then, do me this favour, so that you in turn may meet with equal kindness. Put briefly, this is my request: believe what I am saying to you. Jesus Christ himself will make it clear to you that I am saying the truth. Only truth can come from that mouth by which the Father has truly spoken. Pray for me that I may obtain my desire. I have not written to you as a mere man would, but as one who knows the mind of God. If I am condemned to suffer, I will take it that you wish me well. If my case is postponed, I can only think that you wish me harm.