(Matt. xvi, 13-27.) Now Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, and He asked His disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answering said: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven. Then he charged his disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and scribes and chief priests, and be put to death, and rise again on the third day. And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him, saying: Far be it from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee. But he, turning, said to Peter: Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art a scandal unto me, because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men. Then, having called the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them:
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his soul shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his soul for my sake shall find it. For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then will he render to every man according to his works.