Feast of The Chair of Peter

You are Peter and, on this rock, I will build my church.

Mathew 16: 13-19

Today, we celebrate the Feast of The Chair of Peter. It is from this ‘chair’, this position, first given to Peter by Jesus, that subsequent Popes carry out their mission to guide the people of God on the right path.

As we journey with Jesus, we may face many trials that may force us to question his identity. Like Peter, we often boldly proclaim that He is “The Messiah, the Son of the Living God”.  However, there are times when we falter in our faith just as Peter who denied him. Peter was able to be brave one moment and act cowardly the next and so can we. Yet Jesus chose him to be the first head of his people on earth. He called him “rock.”

Today, let us start to pray more for, listen more attentively to and obey our present Peter, Pope Francis! He holds the keys: which “bind and loose”!  We also need to recognise that part of our response to discipleship is to become ‘rock’ for others.