THE WORD AND THE FEAST
February 22, 2025: The Chair of St.Peter1 Peter 5: 1-4; Matthew 16: 13-19
We celebrate today the pastoral responsibility that the Lord places on the successors of St. Peter. "You are Peter; on this rock I shall build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it." The Church has stood the test of time - 2 millennia and humbly, still counting despite all the forces which have always wanted it to buckle under pressure!
The First reading has a few remarkable elements that seem to explain perfectly the role of Papacy: 'presbyter among presbyters', 'not lording over the people', 'being example to the flock'! This is exactly what Pope Francis has been trying to do the past 12 years: stressing the Collegiality of Bishops, as Bishop of Rome, and not lording over but challenging everyone with his very life. Restraining from making a hero-idol of him, it is important at this moment that as a Church we gratefully recognise the timely contribution he has made, and hearken to his passionate call to live as light of the world and salt of the earth, spreading love and hope to those around us.
We are aware of so many forces today in the World that wants by all means to destroy the Church and its moral authority on the planet! The Lord promised that the gates of hell will never prevail over the Church, but we need to remain worthy of the promise, by being communities of genuine faith and integral living. This day, we have an absolute duty, to pray for the Holy Father, specially as he is going through a crucial moment of health crisis.
Thank you Lord for Pope Francis; bless him, strenghten him and be with him with the joy of the Spirit! God bless our Pope!
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