February 22, 2025
Feast of the Chair
of Saint Peter, Apostle
Lectionary: 535
Reading 1
Beloved:
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly,
as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) The Lord is my
shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Verse Before the Gospel
You are Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my Church;
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
Gospel
When Jesus went into the region
of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022225.cfm
Commentary on 1 Peter
5:1-4; Psalm 22; Matthew 16:13-19
The Gospel from St Matthew
records a dramatic moment in the relationship between Jesus and his disciples.
They are at Caesarea Philippi, an area which significantly was home to both
Jews and Gentiles, and Jesus begins by asking them what they heard people
saying about him. They gave various answers, such as that he might be John the
Baptist (returned from the dead after his beheading by Herod), or Elijah (who
was expected to return to earth to herald the imminent coming of the Messiah),
or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Jesus then asks them:
But who do you say that I am?
It is Simon who speaks up:
You are the Messiah, the Son
of the living God.
It was a very special moment for
all of them. Up to this, the man whom they had simply called ‘Rabbi’ or
‘Teacher’ was now acknowledged as no less than the Messiah, the Christ, the one
anointed as the Saviour-King of Israel.
In reply, Jesus tells Simon that
what he has said are not simply his own words, but are a revelation of God to
him:
Blessed are you, Simon son of
Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in
heaven.
There then comes the solemn
mandate and promise. Simon is now given a new name:
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.
There is a play on the words
‘Peter’ and ‘rock’. The word for ‘rock’ in Greek is petra and
Peter is Petros. There is an irony in the name because it carries
more than one meaning. For Peter is called to be the firm foundation of the new
community, but before that happens, he shows himself to be a stumbling block
trying to frustrate the mission of his Master; he shows himself to be one of
the weakest of the disciples.
Nevertheless, Jesus gives him
his mission:
I will give you the keys of
the kingdom of heaven [of God],
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven [i.e. by God],
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
After Jesus’ resurrection and
ascension, it is his community under the unifying leadership of Peter which
will have the mandate to continue the work and mission of Jesus. They will be,
literally, the voice of Jesus.
In the First Reading (from the
First Letter of Peter—although almost certainly not written by him), we have
advice on how Church authority is to be exercised. Peter speaks to community
leaders as a fellow “elder”, and as one who was a personal witness of the
sufferings of Jesus—hence looking forward to share in his risen glory. He tells
them to take care of their flocks as good shepherds, drawing them, but not
forcing them, and not pursuing their own personal gain, but rather with
enthusiasm for their flocks’ well-being:
Do not lord it over those in
your charge, but be examples to the flock.
These words are applicable to
every position of leadership in the Church be it pope, bishop, priest or lay
leader. Then:
…when the chief shepherd
appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away.
So, the overall message of
today’s feast is of generous and eager cooperation of all members of the
Christian community in building up the Body of Christ as a sacrament of the
Kingdom throughout the world.
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This feast has been kept at Rome
since the 4th century. It is celebrated as a symbol of the unity of the Church.
The principal diocese of the Catholic Church is Rome, and the Pope is its
bishop. His cathedral is not, as many may be inclined to think, St Peter’s
Basilica, but the Church of St John Lateran.
The Bishop of Rome is not ranked
above other bishops, but is rather primus inter pares, ‘first among
equals’. The diocese of Rome has a special place because of its links with St
Peter, on whom Jesus said he would build his church. Hence the unity of the
Church is expressed by the solidarity of each diocese with the diocese of Rome,
and with each other. And when the Pope speaks formally, it is the faith of the
whole Church that he proclaims, and not just his own understanding of it.
From the earliest times, the
Church at Rome celebrated on 18 January the memory of the day when Peter held
his first service with the faithful of the Eternal City. The feast of the Chair
of Saint Peter at Antioch, commemorating his foundation of the See of Antioch,
has also been long celebrated at Rome, on 22 February. At each place a chair (cathedra)
was venerated which the Apostle had used while presiding at the Eucharist. The
Roman Church, therefore, at an early date celebrated a first and a second
assumption of the episcopal office in Rome by St Peter. This double celebration
was also held in two places, in the Vatican Basilica and in a cemetery (coemeterium)
on the Via Salaria.
The first of these chairs stood
in the Vatican Basilica, in the baptismal chapel built by Pope Damasus. While
therefore in the Vatican Basilica there stood a cathedra on
which the pope sat amid the Roman clergy during the pontifical Mass, there was
also in the same building a second cathedra from which the
pope administered to the newly baptized the Sacrament of Confirmation. The
Chair of St Peter in the apse was made of marble and was built into the wall,
while that of the baptistry was movable and could be carried. Ennodius calls
the latter a sedes gestatoria, a ‘chair for carrying’.
Throughout the Middle Ages it
was always brought out on 22 February from the above mentioned consignatorium,
or place of confirmation to the high altar. That day, the pope did not use the
marble cathedra (at the back of the apse), but sat on this
portable cathedra, which was, consequently, made of wood.*
The importance of this feast was
heightened by the fact that 22 February was considered the anniversary of the
day when Peter bore witness, by the Sea of Tiberias, to the divinity of Christ
and was again appointed by Christ to be the Rock of His Church (see John
21:15).
_____________________
*The last pope to use this chair was Pope John XXIII.
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Saturday, February 22, 2025
Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle
Opening Prayer
Father of everlasting goodness,
our origin and guide, be close to us and hear the prayers of all who praise
You. Forgive our sins and restore to life. Keep us safe in Your love. We ask
this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading – Mt.
16: 13-19
Jesus went into the region of
Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the
Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others
Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them,
"But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed
are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail
against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven." Then he
strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ. From that time on, Jesus began to show
his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders,
the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be
raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid,
Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to
Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking
not as God does, but as human beings do."
Reflection
• We are now in the narrative part between the
discourse on the Parables (Mt 13) and the discourse on the community (Mt 18).
In these narrative parts which link together the five discourses, Matthew usually
follows the sequence of the Gospel of Mark. Once in a while, he gives other
information, also known by Luke. Here and there, he quotes texts which appear
only in the Gospel of Matthew, like, for example, the conversation between
Jesus and Peter in today’s Gospel. This text has different interpretations and
even contradictory ones among the diverse Christian Churches.
• At that time, the communities fostered a very
strong affective bond of union with the leaders who had given origin to the
community. For example, the communities of Antioch in Syria fostered their relationship
with Peter. Those of Greece promoted their relationship with Paul; some
communities of Asia, with the Beloved Disciple and others with the person of
John of the Apocalypse. Identification with these leaders to whom they owed
their origin helped the communities to build better their identity and
spirituality. But this could also be a reason for dispute, like in the case of
the community of Corinth (1 Cor 1: 11-12).
• Matthew 16: 13-16 - The opinions of the
people and of the disciples concerning Jesus. Jesus asks the opinion of the
people concerning Himself, the Son of Man. The responses are varied: John the
Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the Prophets. When Jesus asks the disciples’
opinion, Peter becomes the spokesman and says,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” The response is not a new one. Previously,
the disciples had said the same thing (Mt 14: 33). In John’s Gospel, the same
profession of faith is made by Martha (Jn 11: 27). It means that the prophecies
of the Old Testament are realized in Jesus.
• Matthew 16:
17 - Jesus’ response to Peter: "Blessed are
you, Simon!” Jesus proclaims Peter “Blessed” because he has received a
revelation from the Father. Here, also, the response of Jesus is not new.
Before, Jesus had praised the Father because He had revealed the Son to the
little ones and not to the wise (Mt 11: 25-27) and had made the same proclamation
of joy to the disciples who were seeing and hearing new things which, up until
then, nobody had known or heard (Mt 13: 16).
• Matthew 16:
18-20 - The attributions of
Peter: To be rock and to receive the keys of the Kingdom.
• (a) To be rock: Peter has to be Rock that is
the stable basis for the Church in such a way that it can prevail against the gates
of hell. With these words which Jesus addressed to Peter, Matthew encourages the
persecuted community of Syria and Palestine, to see in Peter the leader who
belongs
to their origin. In spite
of persecution and weakness, the
community has a firm basis, guaranteed by the word of Jesus. The notion of
being rock based on faith evokes the word of God to the people in exile:
“Listen to Me, you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh; consider the
rock (pietra) from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug;
consider Abraham your father, and Sarah who gave birth to you. When I called
him, he was the only one, but I blessed him and made him
numerous” (Isa 51: 1-2). This
indicates that a new beginning of the People of God is with Peter.
• (b) The keys of the Kingdom: Peter receives
the keys of the Kingdom. The same power of binding and loosing is also given to
the communities (Mt 18: 18) and to the other disciples (Jn 20: 23). One of the
points on which the Gospel of Matthew insists is reconciliation and pardon. It
is one of the more important tasks of coordinators of the communities. By
imitating Peter, they should bind and loosen, that is, do in such a way that
there is reconciliation and reciprocal acceptance, construction of fraternity,
even up to seventy times (Mt 18: 22).
• Matthew 16: 21-22 - Jesus completes what was missing in
Peter’s response, and Peter reacts.
Jesus begins saying that He had “to go
to Jerusalem and suffer very much on the part of the Elders, of the high
priests and of the scribes, and be killed and on the third day, rise from the
dead.” Saying that He
had to go and would be killed,
or that it was necessary to suffer, He indicated that suffering had been
foreseen by the prophecies. The way of the Messiah is not only one of triumph
and glory, but also one of suffering and of the cross! If Peter accepts Jesus
as the Messiah and Son of God, he has to accept
Him also as Messiah servant who
will be killed. But Peter does not accept Jesus’ correction and tries to draw
Him away. Taking Jesus aside, he began to rebuke Him: Heaven preserve You,
Lord, this must not happen to You!”
• Matthew 16:
23 - Jesus’ reply to Peter: stumbling stone.
Jesus’ response is surprising. Peter wanted to steer Jesus in another
direction. Jesus reacts: “Get behind Me, Satan. You are an obstacle in My path,
because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.” Peter has
to follow Jesus, and not the contrary. Jesus is the one who gives the directions.
Satan is the one who draws people away from the road traced by Jesus. Once again
the expression rock – pietra - appears, but now in the contrary sense. Peter,
at one time, is the supporting rock; at other times, the stumbling block! The
communities at the time of Matthew were like that, characterized by ambiguity.
This is the way we all are, according to what John Paul II said, that the
papacy itself was characterized by the same ambiguity of Peter: rock of support
for the faith and stumbling block in the faith.
Personal Questions
• What are the opinions about Jesus which exist
in our community? These differences in the way of living and of expressing faith, do they enrich the community
or do they render the way more difficult?
• What type of rock is our community? What is
our mission?
Concluding Prayer
Give me back the joy of Your
salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit. I shall teach the wicked Your
paths, and sinners will return to You. (Ps 51: 12-13)
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