22 Feb 2011, Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, apostle

Reading 1
1 Pt 5:1-4

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.

Ps 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6
Responsorial PsalmR. (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.

Gospel
Mt 16:13-19

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.”

Meditation: 1 Peter 5:1-4

The Chair of Peter

I exhort you … as a witness to the sufferings of Christ. (1 Peter 5:1)

From all his followers, Jesus called Peter to lead his church. And from the earliest times, the church has celebrated his choice in the feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Peter’s “chair” refers to his office as bishop of Rome and first head of the church. Originally, the feast was observed on January 18, the date when Peter is said to have held his first service with the believers in Rome. Later, the feast was moved to February 22, the date traditionally considered the anniversary of Peter’s proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah.

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Peter declared to Jesus (Matthew 16:16). The Father had revealed this to him, and Peter was unshakable in it. Therefore Jesus said, “You are Peter [the Greek word used here, petros, means “rock”], and upon this rock I will build my church” (16:18). Two thousand years later, we rejoice that the church built upon this rock endures today. From his seat as bishop of Rome, “Peter” continues to care for his flock in the person of the Holy Father.

Watching over the other apostles and all the members of the early church, Peter became a living example of the message he spoke (1 Peter 5:3). He did it willingly and eagerly, telling everyone about what he had seen from the day Jesus first called him on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Peter proclaimed his own firsthand experience, not myths or lore passed from mouth to mouth but what he knew to be true because he lived it.

Jesus called Peter to minister to those whom the Father set around him. We have the same commission, each in our own way: to encourage, teach, and shepherd those around us. This is especially true of parents in the “mini-church” of their home and family, but the call also encompasses anyone we can build up through our testimony of God’s power at work in us. Each of us can give God’s flock a shepherd’s care by looking out for others, seeking the lost, and feeding the hungry!

“Jesus, I want to live and walk in faith, just as Peter did. Show me today who is hungry or wandering, and needs my care and attention.”

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