Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 22, 2025
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
This reading touched me with how bold and specific Jesus was in seeking an answer to his question, “Who do you say I am?” And the fact that Jesus declared to his disciples that our heavenly Father revealed the answer to them.
Today, I just arrived back home from a wonderful visit with my daughter and her new husband. My daughter Mary, class of 2015, was recently married in a unique ceremony that was performed by a Catholic Bishop in Chicago. It was unique because the groom is of Jewish heritage, so the ceremony was a mixture of Catholic and Jewish traditions. Today’s gospel was one of the readings, and the ceremony was inspired by their prayers for guidance from our Heavenly Father.
The couple truly wanted to seek the keys of heaven and make sure the centerpiece that bound them together on earth as it is in heaven is the rock of Christ. They both want Christ, the Son of the living God, to be the guiding light throughout their life together. This example of their great faith together gives us hope that building our lives on the rock of our universal Catholic Church under the loving care of our wonderful Notre Dame will give us strength. We need the strength of faithful examples to answer the otherworldly question of “Who is Jesus to me?”
May we be courageous enough to go beyond what others say to grapple with the deepest needs of our hearts.
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!