The Chair of St Peter - 22nd February 2021
The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter celebrates the papacy and
St. Peter as the first bishop of Rome. St. Peter's original name
was Simon. He was married with children and was living and
working in Capernaum as a fisherman when Jesus called him to
be one of the Twelve Apostles.
Jesus bestowed to Peter a special place among the Apostles.
He was one of the three who were with Christ on special
occasions, such as the Transfiguration of Christ and the Agony
in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was the only Apostle to
whom Christ appeared on the first day after the Resurrection.
Peter, in turn, often spoke on behalf of the Apostles.
When Jesus asked the Apostles: "Whom do men say that the
Son of Man is?"
Simon replied: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
And Jesus said: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because
flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father who
is in heaven. And I say to you: That you are Peter [Cephas, a
rock], and upon this rock [Cephas] I will build my Church
[ekklesian], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And
whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in
heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, it shall be
loosed also in heaven". (Mt 16:13-20)
In saying this Jesus made St. Peter the head of the entire
community of believers and placed the spiritual guidance of
the faithful in St. Peter’s hands.
However, St. Peter was not without faults. He was rash and
reproached often by Christ. He had fallen asleep in the Garden
of Gethsemane instead of praying, as Jesus had asked him to
do. He also denied knowing Jesus three times after Christ’s
arrest.
Peter delivered the first public sermon after the Pentecost and
won a large number of converts. He also performed many
miracles and defended the freedom of the Apostles to preach
the Gospels. He preached in Jerusalem, Judaea, and as far
north as Syria.
He was arrested in Jerusalem under Herod Agrippa I, but
miraculously escaped execution. He left Jerusalem and
eventually went to Rome, where he preached during the last
portion of his life. He was crucified there, head downwards, as
he had desired to suffer, saying that he did not deserve to die
as Christ had died.
The date of St. Peter's death is not clear. Historians estimate
he was executed between the years 64 and 68. His remains
now rest beneath the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
