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Peter’s Successor

1 Peter 5:1–4

Scripture: “. . . [W]hen the chief shepherd appears, you [, elders,] will win the crown of glory that never fades away” (1 Pet 5:4).

Reflection: The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter has nothing to do with a physical chair. The name of the feast refers to the authority of the man who sits in Peter’s chair to teach, sanctify, and govern the Church: the pope, the bishop of Rome, the successor of Peter. The passage from the first letter of Peter is chosen for this feast because it portrays the writer of the letter exhorting “the elders . . . to tend the flock of God that is in [their] charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have [them] do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly” (5:2). Elders, who ultimately come to be known as bishops in the Church, are told not to lord their authority over those in their charge, but to be “examples to the flock” (5:3).

Today’s passage from the first letter of Peter contains the household duties of elders or local Church leaders at the end of the first century or the beginning of the second century AD. Lists of household duties are common in documents written at this time. The anonymous author writes in the name of “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1), who claims authority to write the letter as “a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed” (5:1).

In the Catholic Church, the pope as Peter’s successor serves as head of the universal Church. The bishops, successors of the apostles, are united under the primacy of the pope in order to tend the faithful who have been placed in their care. Teaching or preaching the gospel and maintaining its truth is the primary way the pope and bishops keep the Church united in matters of faith and morals. This teaching role is exercised in ecumenical councils, synods, and pastoral letters.

Both through the bishops of the Church and directly, the pope exercises his sanctifying office. Through prayer and sacraments, the faithful are built into greater unity. This occurs on a parish level under the leadership of priests and deacons and on a diocesan level under the leadership of the local bishop.

And the pope, directly and through the bishops, exercises his governing office through councils, exhortations, and example. This occurs on a parish level under the leadership of the pastor in consultation with a parish council and a finance council. On a diocesan level, the bishop’s governing takes place after consultation with a diocesan pastoral council, a presbyteral council, staff meetings, etc. When the chief shepherd, Christ, appears, all hope to win the crown of glory that never fades away.

In a time when the slogan is “No one is going to tell me what to do,” the exercise of the papal offices of teaching, sanctifying, and governing are severely criticized because the pope calls Catholics to be different, to stand for religious values. When the secular world gives its assent to a man and woman living together before marriage, the Church, under the leadership of the pope and bishops, calls Catholic couples to abstinence before marriage. When others see no moral problem creating life outside the womb, the Catholic Church witnesses to the natural means of conception. The pope and bishops teach the sacredness of life, as secular culture advocates euthanasia.

The chief shepherd, Christ, is the model the pope strives to emulate. Christ has promised divine assistance to the man who sits in Peter’s chair. That gives Catholics a sense of security that they are being taught the truth, that they are being made holy, and that they are being governed by Christ in the person of the pope.

Meditation: In what specific ways have you experienced the teaching, sanctifying, and governing office of the pope either directly or through your local bishop or pastor?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit upon your Church to assist her leaders in teaching, sanctifying, and governing your people. Guide the vicar of Christ on earth, the pope, with this same Spirit that when the chief shepherd appears, all your people will win the crown of glory that never fades away. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Rock

Matthew 16:13–19

Scripture: [Jesus said to Simon Peter:] “. . . [Y]ou are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).

Reflection: When hearing the title of today’s feast, the Chair of St. Peter, most people think of a physical chair instead of the authority that the title of the feast indicates. Basically, this is a feast that celebrates the leadership and authority of the papacy. As the successor of Peter, the pope presides over the Church in unity.

The gospel chosen for this feast from Matthew comes from two sources. First, Mark’s Gospel is the source for the narrative in the district of Caesarea Philippi. Matthew has changed a number of details to prepare for his additions to the story. Second, Matthew, written around 80 AD, presents what biblical scholars call unique Petrine material, that is, stories that feature Peter that are not found in any other gospel.

Unique Petrine material was created by Matthew or gathered from a source to which he had access in order to re-create the character of Peter found in Mark’s Gospel. Peter is characterized as a fool in Mark. Matthew chooses to present him as a leader. So, to Mark’s account of Jesus’ questioning his disciples as to his identity, Matthew adds the words of Jesus declaring that Peter is the recipient of divine revelation after Peter answers Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:16).

The Matthean Jesus makes it clear that Peter is the foundation for the church: “. . . [Y]ou are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (16:18). The play on words does not work in the English translation of the Greek text. In Greek, the word “petra” means “rock”; thus, the name “Peter” indicates that the man is the foundation of the church. As most notes in Bibles indicate, Peter is known by his Aramaic name, “Kephas,” in the early church. “Kephas” is derived from the Aramaic word for rock, namely, “kepha.” In both Greek and Aramaic the word play is obvious, but is missed in English translation. In order to capture the intent of the Matthean Jesus’ words, the verse needs to be translated like this: You are Rocky, and upon this foundation I will build my church.

Matthew is the only gospel to use the Greek word “ekklesia” (or “ecclesia”), translated into English as “church.” The word does not refer to a building, as it does in contemporary parlance. In Matthew, church is an assembly of people. This community is built on and held together by the Rock, Peter.

Another Petrine passage is added by Matthew. Jesus gives the keys to the kingdom of heaven to Peter. In the ancient world, a key was a sign of authority; it gave its bearer the ability to admit and to keep out. Jesus assures Peter that whatever he binds on earth will be bound in the kingdom; and whatever he loses on earth will be loosed in the kingdom.

The Church has understood this passage to be her basis for continuing the teaching of Jesus for two thousand years, especially concerning matters of faith and morals. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting St. Maximus the Confessor, states, “. . . [A]ll Christian churches everywhere have held and hold the great Church that is here [at Rome] to be their only basis and foundation since, according to the Savior’s promise, the gates of hell have never prevailed against her” (834).

Today’s feast celebrates the fact that we “believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” as we profess in the Nicene Creed, founded by Christ on the Rock (Peter) and presided over by Peter’s successor.

Meditation: What does it mean to you to be a member of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church?

Prayer: Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Simon Peter’s profession of faith led your Son to declare him the foundation stone of the Church and to give him the authority to teach your truth. Keep us faithful to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church and grant us admittance to the kingdom, where you live and reign with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.