Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 22, 2020
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
In my parish community, we strive to ensure that everything we do is guided by and directed toward the mission entrusted to us by Jesus. To fulfill our mission, we remind our parishioners that faith means, first and foremost, a relationship with Jesus. Jesus isn’t just a person we read about in a book or learn about in a class, but someone we encounter in our lives. From this encounter with Jesus, we develop a relationship with him and follow him as disciples.
Not everyone who is baptized and comes to church each Sunday has had such an encounter with Jesus. Many people, even many faithful people, still have not had an intimate, personal encounter with Jesus. Today’s Gospel reveals an encounter between Peter and Christ. Clearly, Peter understood the truth of Christ’s identity and had felt his love.
Thus, Peter’s encounter with Christ led him to fully commit to being his disciple.
Many people had met Jesus during his ministry. He had preached and healed, spent time in their homes and villages, and yet many still did not yet fully understand who he truly was. People had met Jesus, but they had not yet encountered him in such a way that his truth was revealed. They had not yet encountered him as their Messiah. They were not yet willing to devote their lives to him.
May we encounter Jesus, so that he might reveal his truth and love to us, lead us to grow in relationship with him, and empower us to fulfill the mission entrusted to us as disciples.
Prayer
Ever-loving Father, you established your Church upon the rock of Peter to be a refuge for sinners and a fortress of strength for all who call upon you. Continue to stretch forth your hand and protect all men and women who place their lives in your divine care, especially those in serious danger of physical or spiritual harm. We ask this through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today’s feast celebrates St. Peter, the rock upon whom Jesus built the Church. “You are Peter,” Jesus said, “and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).
The early Church in Rome was in the custom of marking the date that Peter arrived to publicly lead their community. Each year on this date, they dedicated the empty chair Peter sat on when he presided over the community in prayer. He used to sit in the chair to receive newly converted Christians who were baptized. Still dripping wet, they would come to him in this chair to be anointed and confirmed.
February 22 was chosen to coincide with what was understood as the anniversary of the day on which Jesus entrusted the Church to Peter with the words from Matthew’s Gospel above. The actual chair of this feast was lost long ago in one of the several invasions and plunderings of Rome.
St. Peter is depicted in several places on campus. The mosaic featured today stands on the exterior of the front of the Basilica, and the stained glass window (shown below) comes from that church as well. Relics of St. Peter rest in the reliquary chapel, including a piece of the cross on which he was crucified upside-down.
On today's feast, many may have on their minds the scandals and the corruption in the Church that have been front page news in recent years. Peter, although a saint, was an ordinary man who had to constantly convert himself throughout his life to follow Christ more completely. The community founded upon him must always do the same. May we pray today for the constant conversion of the hearts of each minister and member of the Church, that we may reach out to those who have been wounded and that we may all seek to convert and heal the mystical body of Christ of which we are a part.
On this feast of the Chair of St. Peter, let us pray for the pope and for the Church!