40 Crosses for 40 Days: 8th Cross - The Chair of St. Peter Cross

Today, February 22, is the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle. Although the name for this day may call to mind the famous chair of the presider behind the altar in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, this day commemorates a different kind of chair.

In this case, the word 'chair' refers to the teaching authority of the Pope and the Magisterium of the Church. 'Chair' is used in the same way that we refer to the 'Chair of the Department," meaning the person who guides all the other people in the department, oversees the meetings and ultimately has the final say. The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter is commemorated on February 22 in keeping with the old tradition that maintains February 22 was the day when Jesus appointed Peter as the head of the apostles, the day in which Jesus asks his disciples "Who do you say that I am?"

Jesus begins this conversation, the Gospel of Matthew tells us, by asking his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

He receives various answers. "They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (Mt 16:14) In other words, people have recognized that Jesus is a holy man, like John the Baptist, who is calling them to repentance, to returning to God. Other people think that Jesus may even be a prophet, a man who hears the voice of God and speaks God's message to His people. Both John the Baptist and the prophets were indeed holy men, inspired by God to speak His word, but none of the prophets claimed to be more than that. That's why Jesus continues in his questioning.

"But who do you say that I am?" he asks. Simon Peter steps up and, speaking on behalf of the apostles, says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter has not only recognized that Jesus is a holy man, a perfect man, but he goes further. He says that Jesus is both human and divine, the son of the eternal God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Messiah who has been prophesied and foretold and eagerly awaited down through Jewish history. This is a revelation, an insight given to him. And Peter is correct.

So, Jesus says to Peter, "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." Jesus affirms that it is God who has given Peter this insight into his true nature. It did not come from "flesh and blood," from other people, but from God Himself.

Who do you say that I am?

On this day, then, Jesus asks the same question of us: Who do YOU say that I am? We should think about our answer carefully and seriously.

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  If we believe that Jesus is a good man, even a holy man, but not God, then we can also dismiss His teachings as being outdated or even just plain mistaken. We give ourselves permission to think that Jesus was only responding to situations of His own time, and that His teachings, emphasized through His actions, are not eternal.
• If we believe that Jesus is more than just a good man, that he is a prophet, we might take him more seriously since that would mean Jesus is speaking on behalf of God. If we reject the teachings of a prophet, we understand we are really rejecting the One he speaks for - God. But the prophet himself is not the ultimate authority. Jesus would still be only human, like us.

But what if we believe, like St. Peter, that Jesus is the Son of the living God and the Messiah? That He is actually the eternal God come down from heaven? If we believed that, then we would have a pretty simple choice: to follow Jesus and his teachings, or to reject the promised Messiah. There's really no in-between. Jesus the person is not separate from Jesus the Teacher or Jesus the Healer. Everything He says and does is who He is. He's all one person, all Jesus.

If we accept Jesus, then we accept his teachings, including the fact that he gave St. Peter the keys to the kingdom and He established a church to ensure that His teachings would be taught throughout the ages. This includes His teachings on things like the sacraments as well as morality. Ultimately, what Jesus teaches, what this feast day emphasizes, is that there IS a way to get into Heaven. And if that isn't news enough, the second part of this feast day reminds us that the keys to that heavenly door are not only from God but are mediated through the hands of people just like St. Peter.

Let us pray: Holy Trinity, we thank you for giving St. Peter the conviction to speak up, to say the truth. We pray for the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis, and for all the bishops around the world, and all those who labor in the vineyard of the Lord. May they, too, be inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak Your truth. And in all things, let us praise you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.