Homilettes for weekdays since February 12 may be found below.
Friday, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
(Matthew 16:13-19)
Some might think it odd to celebrate the “chair of St. Peter.” “What’s so important about a place to sit?” they may ask. Their question is not surprising as we notice the way many take different seats and postures in front of a television. But, of course, we use chairs in much more formal settings. The one who sits at the head of the table, the chairperson, often wields significant power. It is arguable that the senior Richard Daley had more power as Chairman of the Democratic Party in Cook County than as Mayor of Chicago. Anyway, we are beginning to understand some of the importance of St. Peter’s chair.
The chair that is referred to on this feast is actually the office as leader of the Church. As we see in the gospel, Jesus names Simon, “Peter,” meaning the rock upon which he establishes the Church. Peter is the spokesperson for the twelve apostles throughout the gospel. The Acts of the Apostles, written by Luke and not Matthew, shows Peter with supreme authority for the original community of disciples. When Peter leaves Jerusalem, first for Antioch and then for Rome, he takes his authority for the whole Church with him. This authority, which is as much a responsibility for the welfare of all Christians, has been handed on to Peter’s successors as bishops of Rome. Of course, these are the men we know as the popes.
Today we pray for Pope Benedict XVI. He has an enormous task, especially for an elderly person. The world is increasingly more complicated and more dismissive of religion. True, there are growing numbers of Catholics and other religious adherents. But still secularists, agnostics, and atheists are leading astray many people whose ancestry was firmly Catholic. We pray that Pope Benedict upholds the integrity of our faith while welcoming new Catholics and re-evangelizing those whose families were once firmly religious.
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