THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2024
THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT
FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF ST PETER
1 Peter 5:1-4
Matthew 16:13-19
CELEBRATING THE POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH
The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter celebrates not the physical structure but precisely the powers and authority exercised through the chair of saint Peter as committed to it by our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are celebrating the authority to sanctify, to govern and to teach in the name of Christ which became effective when our Lord Jesus Christ made Peter and his successors his visible vicars on earth standing in for him in these matters in physical form.
The gospel reading of today details the basis of that authority which Peter expressed in faith. A belief in the powers and authority of Christ as the redeemer and Saviour of the world. That sure and certain faith as expressed by saint Peter was not just a mere formula but the means of salvation God has ennobled in the world for man.
The authority of saint Peter to lead the people of God, is promised and assured that even the gates of hell and powers of the underworld cannot defeat it.
Even though by nature, the church is both human and divine and continues to witness the weaknesses of human failures in her ministers, scandals among her members and irreligiosity even in her body, yet the authority of saint Peter has never wavered nor proven ineffectual because the church still maintains and have survived the tides throughout the centuries without being broken. Kingdoms have risen and fallen, nations have risen and fallen but the church as an institution which operates a somewhat centralized and decentralized government has never faltered or been seen to have ever collapsed. The church still stands as the strongest institution in the world over these centuries and have overcome the tides of the times successfully.
We must them believe in the powers and authorities of the Church and have faith in her. The best ways to keep faith is to continue being obedient to the church’s teachings and sayings. Obedience, they say is the supreme law. The church’s authority is seen in her teachings, where she stands as the moral and ethical guide of the world and peoples. Here we must keep faith with her, listen to her, pay attention to her words, and struggle to abide by carrying out her instructions and teachings.
Of course, you cannot know her teaching unless you pay attention to reading her documents, and following her wise counsel and you will never go wrong. She is the moral conscience of the world.
In her liturgical celebrations, the Church gives worship to the Almighty God and from there gains also for her faithful the needed sanctification. The church’s liturgical celebrations is her role in sanctifying the world. Such celebrations as the sacrifice of the Mass, the sacraments and the blessings are not what we do for ourselves but what Christ the redeemer has done and continues to do for us. We, only exercise this authority when we celebrate but Christ is the authority behind it and we only join, plead or celebrate with Jesus. We must them come to it with disposed minds and ready hearts since we know that it is beyond us and we are only joining Christ in offering worship to God.
In her governing role, the church want us to be a community of people who have same purpose of renewing the face of the earth. We must play our part in this role according to the gifts given us and be of service to the world.
This authority of the Church is necessary for the better ordering of our world. We must not allow it to go unused in our time. We must allow Christ to reign in us and we must subject ourselves to the task of being docile to the teachings, the governing and sanctifying effects of Saint Peter’s chair.
Heavenly Father, your church is the vehicle of your salvation designed for us to reach our eternal home. And you committed to saint Peter and his successors the authority to govern, sanctify and teach in your name. Grant us the docility and support to be obedient to the church in all ramifications. May the gate of hell never prevail upon her. May we through your Church gain blessings, life and eternal salvation through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
