Word to the Wise
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 - Feb. 22 - The Chair of St. Peter, Apostle
[1 Pet 5:1-4 and Matt 16:13-19]"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." [Matthew]
On the day that I am writing this (Feb. 21), the USA is celebrating "Presidents' Day," which used to be a celebration of George Washington's birthday. It was combined with Abraham Lincoln's birthday (Feb. 12) and made a celebration of all the holders of the office of President of the United States (POTUS!). The celebration of The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle is similar to that. We celebrate the job because of its significance to the unity and governing of our vast Catholic Church. Although the exercise of that office has evolved over the centuries, the job itself has survived and is now held by Pope Francis.
A look at the long list of the "successors of St. Peter" will reveal a wide range of characters from saints to scoundrels. Christ entrusted his Church to human weakness and strength. In the person of the Pope we have the continuation of Jesus' ministry, no matter how we surround the job description with all kinds of canonical language of power and sovereignty and Vatican ceremony. The Pope is more than "the Boss." After the Eucharist (and the other sacraments), he is the principal physical assurance of the Lord's care for us. That puts quite a load on one man's shoulders. The least we can do is acknowledge with gratitude, on this day, the gift of the Lord in the creation of this role of unity and teaching and also be grateful to whomever is holding that position. Right now, that is Pope Francis. God bless him! AMEN