The Church honors the "chair of St. Peter today," that is, his primacy among the disciples and, as Jesus declares, the Rock upon which he will build his church (Mt 16:19). He give Peter the "keys of the kingdom" as a symbol of his authority, which his chair in Rome also symbolizes. This feast is celebrated today, which scholars have determined to be the anniversary of the exchange between Jesus and Peter. Roman Catholics trace the linage of the Popes from Peter to Francis from this moment as well. For all Christians it is the occasion to identify Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, fully God and fully human, who has come among us to show us the Father and the best way to live in communion with him. Spontaneous Peter answers the question, "Who do you say that I am? by blurting out what was in his big heart: "You are the Christ, the Son of God." (Mt 16:16). This too must be our response....one that is a gift, (faith is a gift) and one that takes a lifetime to fully understand and appreciate. May we take a clue from Peter's lead, and acknowledge Jesus for who he is and ask for the grace to live accordingly.
Bro. Rene
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment