HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE -THURSDAY 1ST WEEK OF LENT [YEAR B]

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE—THURSDAY, 1ST WEEK OF LENT [YEAR B]

THEME: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.

BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA

READINGS OF THE DAY
1 Peter 5:1-4
Psalm 22
Matthew 16:13-19

LITURGICAL COLOUR
WHITE

INTRODUCTION
Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle. We commemorate in a special way the Chair of Saint Peter, the seat of authority which is traditionally ascribed to Saint Peter, the Prince and Chief of all the Apostles, the one whom the Lord had entrusted His Church to, as His Vicar in this world. The first Pope and Bishop of Rome.

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WHAT IS THE FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF SAINT PETER?
The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter is a commemoration of the contributions of the Apostle to the Christian Church. It celebrates his authority and endless efforts to build a strong community around the teachings of Christ and has been celebrated since the earliest times in the Christian era.
St. Peter was known to hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven, entrusted to him by Jesus himself. For this and many other reasons, St. Peter became a celebrated figure in Christianity.

WHY IS THE FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF SAINT PETER CELEBRATED?
One of the main reasons for celebrating the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter is to celebrate the unity of the Christian Church. Another important reason is that the Chair symbolizes the authority of Saint Peter and his dedication towards building a strong foundation for the Church.
Saint Peter is revered in the Christian community across the globe and is an important figure when it comes to the history of the Vatican. He is considered as the first Pope and the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter marks the longstanding Papacy in Rome since the 1st century.

FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
In the Gospel passage of today, Jesus asks the Twelve Apostles, “Who do you say that I am?” (16:15). The only response Jesus acknowledged was that of Peter, who said that Jesus was the son of the living God. Jesus in turn said to Peter, “Blessed art you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (v. 17). Peter’s answer is heavenly inspired, and from that point Peter is singled out among the apostles to be the rock of Christ’s Church on earth. According to Jesus, the Church will be so rock solid that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (v. 18).

CONCLUSION
As we celebrate this Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle, it is important that we all reaffirm our unity, obedience and adherence to the teachings and the rules and ways of the Church as contained within its laws and precepts, and as governed and guided by the Pope, united with all of his brother bishops all throughout the world, who as the successors of the Apostles, had been tasked with keeping faithfully the teachings of the Lord, His Good News and truth, and this important deposit of faith, all of our Christian beliefs and practices, through which, many of us can come ever closer to the Lord, to His grace and love.
May the Lord continue to bless and guide us in our path, strengthening and encouraging us in our journey of faith and life, as part of the Universal Church, and may He continue to bless our Pope, the Successor of St. Peter. Amen.

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