February 22, 2019
Friday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
1 Peter 5:1-4
Psalm 23:1-6
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “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.”
St. Peter’s Chair
Today 22nd February the Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Its biblical background is Jesus’ choosing Peter to inherit his place as a servant-leader, having authority over the whole Church.
Our gospel text today covers the periscope usually called “Peter’s Confession”. We have in it the question of Jesus concerning his identity. And after hearing through the disciples what the people were saying about him, Jesus asks the disciples the same question. “Who, do you say that I am?”
In the original Greek the “you” is both plural and emphatic.
It is to be noted here that Jesus’ question about his identity was not because he wanted to be informed about people’s opinion about him, but to draw a contrast between people’s understanding and that of his disciples about himself. Although the question was directed to all of the disciples, Peter answers on behalf of the group, confessing, “You are the Messiah (Christ), the Son of the living God.” Jesus then replies directly to Peter that he is blessed not because of any personal merit, but because of the gift from God the Father; he further names Peter, “rock”, and promises to give the keys of the kingdom with authority to bind and loose.
Rock stands for foundation. And although Peter is the foundation, Jesus is the builder. Possessing keys Peter is empowered to teach with authority. Likewise, the power imparted to bind and loose is the authority to teach without error.
God is present everywhere, in every blade of grass and grain of sand, and yet to know him by experience and inner vision is quite different from other kinds of knowledge. The famous scientist and philosopher Arthur Compton was once speaking to the college students about faith in God. Towards the end, a student got up and asked, “Sir can you illustrate your discourse about faith in terms of a concrete example?” “Bring me a ripe orange”, promptly came the reply from the scientist, and as the orange was brought to him, he peeled off the outer skin and began to eat it. He then asked the student, “Can you tell me how I taste this orange, sweet or sour?” “No, I cannot”, said the student and added; “Only one who eats it can say that.” “Yes, that’s the point”, retorted the scientist.
Similarly, only the drinker of alcohol will get inebriated, not the one who will utter the word “alcohol” any number of times. Therefore, without experiencing God, we can never have a deep knowledge of him. That is why the great sages of India long age had said, “He who knows God becomes divine” (brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati). Peter’ reply “You are the Christ, Son of the living God” was not a second hand or bookish knowledge, but one, experienced through an insight granted by God the Father. Not by “learning about Christ”, but by “knowing him through personal experience “, one becomes a true disciple of Christ.
Fr. Louis Malieckal,CMI
