1 Peter 5:1-4
Peter talks about service: Watch
over those entrusted to your care.
A woman bought a beautiful, old
porcelain pitcher. It was cream colored with red and blue flowers painted
delicately on its surface. It soon became one of her cherished possessions. One
day someone dropped the pitcher, breaking it into many pieces.
The woman gathered the pieces
together, sorted them out, and began to glue them together. As she worked over
the pitcher, she thought of how God labors over broken members of the human
family. The people we write off as hopeless, God labors to restore and make
beautiful again. What God does, we too should do.
****
How generously do we serve those
entrusted to our care? “God sells us all things at the price of the labor (Leonardo da Vinci)
****
The Chair of St. Peter (Latin: Cathedra Petri), also known as the Throne of St. Peter, is a wooden throne, encased in bronze, that is physically in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Essentially it is an elaborate chair.
But there is a profound symbolic meaning in the chair. The chair is described as "a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity." (Pope Benedict XVI) It is a mission entrusted to Peter, as we heard in the gospel, and not just to Peter but also to his successors. Hence this feast also traces for the present universal Church its Apostolic succession right up to Peter. In that sense, Pope Francis is called the successor of St. Peter, and he inherits the same apostolic authority that was given to St. Peter. And this authority is to be used for teaching the truth and to serve with humility, as we heard in the 1st reading, and also to keep the Church united as the Body of Christ so as to be a sign of salvation to the world.
But in recent times, many terrible scandals have rocked the Church to its foundations and the Church have sunk deep into crisis with heresies and schisms. Yet, this feast of the Chair of Peter reminds us that the Church is built on rock and the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. We take comfort and consolation that these are the words of Christ Himself, who is the Head of the Church.
May the celebration of this feast also bring about blessings for the Church to strengthen the faith and keep pressing on with the mission of salvation.We must also keep alive the hope that our prayers will bring about the light of Christ shining through the Church in a darkened world.
*****
ST. PETER’S CHAIR, FEAST - LITURGY
The Chair of St. Peter (Latin: Cathedra Petri), also known as the Throne of St. Peter, is a wooden throne, encased in bronze, that is physically in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Essentially it is an elaborate chair.
But there is a profound symbolic meaning in the chair. The chair is described as "a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity." (Pope Benedict XVI) It is a mission entrusted to Peter, as we heard in the gospel, and not just to Peter but also to his successors. Hence this feast also traces for the present universal Church its Apostolic succession right up to Peter. In that sense, Pope Francis is called the successor of St. Peter, and he inherits the same apostolic authority that was given to St. Peter. And this authority is to be used for teaching the truth and to serve with humility, as we heard in the 1st reading, and also to keep the Church united as the Body of Christ so as to be a sign of salvation to the world.
But in recent times, many terrible scandals have rocked the Church to its foundations and the Church have sunk deep into crisis with heresies and schisms. Yet, this feast of the Chair of Peter reminds us that the Church is built on rock and the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. We take comfort and consolation that these are the words of Christ Himself, who is the Head of the Church.
May the celebration of this feast also bring about blessings for the Church to strengthen the faith and keep pressing on with the mission of salvation.We must also keep alive the hope that our prayers will bring about the light of Christ shining through the Church in a darkened world.
*****
ST. PETER’S CHAIR, FEAST - LITURGY
Introduction
The liturgy celebrates today not so much that Peter was the
bishop of Rome than what his function is. In answer to Peter’s profession of
faith, Jesus appoints him the Rock on which the Church is built. As Peter
himself knew very well, the shepherd is the model of his flock, dedicated to
the service of the people of God.
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, you have given us the witnessing of the
apostles as the firm rock on which we can rely. Where Peter is, there is the
Church. But we see today that the bark of Peter is rocked; we are often like
capricious children unused to our newfound freedom. Make us use this freedom
responsibly and do not allow us to lose our composure. Reassure us that you are
always with us and keep us optimistic about the future, for it is your future and
you are our rock for ever.
Commentary
The impetuous Peter, who famously lacked courage later on,
had courage on this occasion. “You are the Christ,” he said, “the Son of the
Living God.” Jesus confirmed this with extraordinary emphasis, “It is not fresh
and blood that revealed this to you, Peter, but my Father in heaven.” He said
to Peter, equivalently, “You have spoken with the voice of God!” Peter must
have been walking on air. But not for long! Later, when they were coming down
the mountain and Jesus began to speak about the suffering and death he would
have to face, Peter protested strongly (he was probably still feeling very
important after that extraordinary confirmation). “Get behind me, Satan!” said
Jesus, with fury. (It must have been with fury, because these were
extraordinarily harsh words.) Poor Peter! —speaking one moment with the voice
of God, and next moment with the voice of Satan! The heights and the depths! Of
all the people in the New Testament he was the least like a rock! That nickname
must have been a joke. But Jesus said to him, “On this Rock (petros, in Greek)
I will build my Church.” Rocks are unchangeable, immobile—and also dead; but
Peter was highly changeable, and a very living being.
Intercessions
– For the Church in our day, that the Holy Spirit may guide
it through the present pains of renewal, keep it faithful to the Gospel and speak
its message in the language of our time, we pray: Lord, remember your Church.
– For the Pope, Peter’s successor, that he may be our rock
of faith and the sign of unity of the Church, we pray:
– For our bishops,
that they may exercise their authority as a service to building community; for
priests and religious, that they may bear witness to what they preach by their
way of living the Gospel, we pray:
– For missionaries, that they may proclaim the Gospel as
Good News for all and help each people and culture to encounter Christ each in
their own way, we pray: Lord, be with the Church until the end of time, as
promised by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the Gifts
Accept our prayer and gifts, Lord God, and guide your Church
to your safe port. Help us to rid ourselves of the dead-weight of cumbersome,
self-made human traditions and teach us, in a way adapted to our times, to seek
the ageless renewal given us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord
for ever.
Prayer after
Communion
Lord our God, on this feast of your apostle Peter you have
nourished us with the body and blood of Christ. We pray you today: May the
unifying force of the Eucharist dispel all unhealthy division in the Church. May
there be no unbridgeable chasms between us but may legitimate differences of
thought lead to a deepening of our faith. May all co-exist in peace and unity as
we seek to understand your message better. We ask you this through Christ, our
Lord.
Blessing
Who do we say who Christ is? With Peter we profess that he
is the Christ, the Son of the living God. May Almighty God bless you, the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.