Saturday, February 22, 2020 — The chair of Saint Peter — Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16, 13-19 — You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the power of Death will not prevail over it.

The today gospel expresses the nature of Jesus and the continuity of his mission, we celebrate on this day the chair of Saint Peter. Jesus is not only a man as many may think, He is unique in His words, teachings and deeds.

The disciples who walked in His footsteps, who cohabited with Him and witnessed His deeds, should never consider Him as common mortals could do. They should be able to proclaim Jesus with faith in His full nature.

St. Peter's reply is unequivocal: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". It is a proclamation that is not of the flesh but comes from God. As men we can never proclaim God without the illumination of his grace, and it was precisely this grace that enabled Peter to grasp the mystery of the nature of Jesus and to proclaim it publicly: this is the creed, the profession of Peter in Jesus.

It is Peter's faith that Jesus took as the foundation of his Church and which at the same time earned him, on the one hand, the status of First Pastor in this Church so that he could teach and strengthen the faith of his brothers and sisters and, on the other hand, the holder of the keys to heaven.

Let us implore the Lord so that the successor of Peter, in whom Christ entrusted his Church, may fulfill his task and that all of us may remain in the authentic faith by following his teachings.