PETER’S CHAIR, Feast

The liturgy celebrates today not so much that Peter was the bishop of Rome than what his function is. In answer to Peter’s profession of faith, Jesus appoints him the Rock on which the Church is built. As Peter himself knew very well, the shepherd is the model of his flock, dedicated to the service of the people of God.

 

First Reading: 1 Peter 5:1-5 

I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it’s like to be a leader, in on Christ’s sufferings as well as the coming glory. Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.

When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he’ll see that you’ve done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—

God has had it with the proud,
But takes delight in just plain people.

 

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19 

When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

 He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”

 Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

 “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”

 

Prayer

Almighty God,
you have given us the witnessing of the apostles
as the firm rock on which we can rely.
Where Peter is, there is the Church.
But we see today that the bark of Peter is rocked;
we are often like capricious children
unused to our newfound freedom.
Make us use this freedom responsibly
and do not allow us to lose our composure.
Reassure us that you are always with us
and keep us optimistic about the future,
for it is your future
and you are our rock for ever. Amen.

 

Reflection:

A Mission of Service – Chair of St. Peter the Apostle

On the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we celebrate our unity as a Church. We celebrate the love, presence, and protection of Christ for us, the Church. The title “Chair of Peter” refers to the chair from which a bishop presided, a symbol of his authority. When the title refers to Saint Peter, it recalls the supreme teaching power of Peter and his successors. It is from the chair, from the pastoral power given to him, that the pope shepherds Christ’s flock.

The Gospel from St Matthew records a dramatic moment in the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. They are at Caesarea Philippi, and Jesus asks his disciples two questions – what they heard people say about him and then How do they understand the person of Jesus. And Peter responds. “You are the Messiah!” Peter stands as a spokesperson for the group of the disciples. The passage presents Peter as the Chosen disciple of Jesus, who is endowed with the keys and the power of binding and loosing (Mt 18:18; cf. Jn 20:23).

Why does Jesus use this image of the keys? The rabbis were convinced that they possess the “keys of the Torah” because they knew the Scriptures. They believed that everyone had to depend on them, for doctrinal decisions and judgments. They felt entitled to distinguish between the just and unjust, between saints and sinners.

Jesus takes up this image in his harsh criticism against the scribes when he says: “A curse is on you, teachers of the Law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered and you prevented others from entering” (Lk 11:52). Instead of opening the door of salvation, they kept them closed, not revealing to the people the true face of God and his will.

Today, Jesus announces a new holder of the keys to the knowledge of God. The key that was abusively appropriated by the scribes, is now taken away from them and is given to the community of believers. The key that allows one to enter God’s kingdom, is the faith professed and handed down by Peter and the apostles. Peter and his companions now have the Mission to open wide the entrance to the knowledge of Christ and his gospel. Anyone who desires to walk in shall do so by using the key of faith: Profess your faith as peter did: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Like the Rabbis of Jesus’ times, leaders of the community misunderstood “the key” as the source of power and failed to realise it as means of service. The Church, invites us to be signs of love and unity, instead becoming expressions of power.

 

Video available on Youtube: A Mission of Service – Chair of St. Peter the Apostle