Tuesday 22 February 2022
Chair of St Peter, Apostle
1 Peter 5:1-4. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want – Psalm 22(23). Matthew 16:13-19.
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church
The Chair of Peter is an ancient liturgical feast in the Church. The ‘Chair’ symbolically refers to the teaching authority of Peter, the rock on which Jesus would build his church. Every cathedral has its own ‘cathedra,’ its bishop’s chair from which the bishop teaches. But the Chair of Peter holds primary place. He is to tend the flock of God. It is a task for every age, but a task that changes in every age. Peter was a witness to the sufferings of Christ (first reading today), and we are the Body of Christ in the world today. Peter never had to worry about climate change, nuclear threats, refugee crises, international terrorism, and so on. Popes today do not always sit on their chairs to teach and tend. Who could ever forget Pope Francis’ first trip as Pope to the Island of Lampedusa? The gates of all hell will not defeat this ‘rock.’
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