Lenten reflection, day 11: Chair of St. Peter

Peter was headstrong and impetuous—but loyal to the core. He loved Jesus, and Jesus loved him. He was the first of the disciples to recognize Him for who He was: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This insight was not of his own making but a gift of God given to Peter—and to us—to build up His body, the Church.

Jesus saw Peter for who he was: a weak human being who would abandon Him in his darkest hour and later deny Him not once but three times. Still, He loved Peter and knew that deep within his heart, Peter loved Him. This was all that mattered to Jesus.

Jesus blessed Peter and told him he was the rock upon which He would build His Church and that nothing would prevail against it: not the gates of the netherworld, not the sins of humanity, not even his own human weakness. He decided to build His Church out of the likes of Peter’s imperfect humanity.

Jesus knows that, like Peter, we are imperfect, impetuous, and sinful. But do we love Him? In the end that is all that matters.

Father Dennis J. Billy, C.Ss.R.
Philadelphia

Scripture readings for today: 1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 23; Matthew 16:13-19