Friday in the Octave of Easter
(Acts 4:1-12; John 21:1-14)
“The one who loves much, does much.” The Scriptures today witness to this simple test of love in the actions of Peter on behalf of Jesus. Love moves the chief apostle in the reading from Acts to confront the Jewish leaders who recently negotiated Jesus’ execution. In the gospel, love for Jesus compels Peter to jump in the water with his clothes on to greet the risen Lord.
As courageous and spontaneous as Peter’s love for Jesus is, it only shadows Jesus’ love for him and the rest of us. St. Paul surely captures the heart of the gospel when he writes: “...God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). His death has gained for us the forgiveness of sin. But that is only half of the mystery of God’s love. His resurrection – the other side of the mystery – promises us eternal life.
Peter’s actions suggest how we might show our love for Christ. We too can confront sin by naming it and then doing what is right. For example, rather than pay a bribe to avoid a heavy fine, we should take responsibility for the situation in which we find ourselves. Also, we should lose no time to meet the Lord in the Eucharist. Coming early to pray quietly and, if possible, to preview the Scriptural readings will indicate our desire to greet the Lord.
Showing posts with label St. Peter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Peter. Show all posts
Homilette for February 22, 2008
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.
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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