HOMILY OF MONDAY 22ND FEBRUARY, 2021
THE CHAIR OF ST PETER, AP.(FEAST)
R1:- 1 Peter 5:1-4
PS:- 23:1-3a.3b-4.5
R2:- 1 Peter 3:18-22
Accl:- Matthew 16:18
Gosp:- Matthew 16:13-19
*THEME: PETER’S CHAIR: THE CHAIR OF KNOWLEDGE.
The content of our held beliefs determine the degree of our dependability. To those who have deep insight into the personality of Jesus, he gives the authority to be in charge of his household.
Asking his disciples what people say about him, Jesus was out to know exactly whether there are people who really know his real identity or not. The answer he got were noble, but they were not congruent with his real person. However, he was elated when finally, Simon told him, ” You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And the Lord said, ” _Blessed are you Simon Bar Jona! For flesh and blood has not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, You are Peter, and this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”_Matthew 16:18
As God made man, Jesus know us inside out. We too must in turn open ourselves to the knowledge of who he is. In our knowledge of people, we must learn to look beyond their physical appearance or their individual idiosyncrasies. If we judge people by their sentiments or by their street mannerism, we may one day mistake a copy cat for them. We are in a world where majority tend to mimic public figures or model their lives after the reigning personality of the time.
Moreover, there is no amount of manifestation found in Jesus that will make him to be any of John the baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah. Simon got the answer right. He was not inspired merely by what he saw Jesus doing, but by what the Spirit told him. It takes spiritual sight to decipher spirit things.
Hence, the Lord gave the key of the kingdom of heaven to Simon Peter, and assured him, that whatever he binds on earth shall be bound in heaven , and whatever he looses on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:19
Therefore, the gate of heaven is wide open to those who have the right knowledge of God. But for those who lack the knowledge of truth, the gate of heaven is locked. Therefore, those who have the perfect knowledge of the kingdom are under obligation to share it so as to bring people into the kingdom. Half-baked ideas or wrong notions about God is a disaster.
Finally, celebrating the seat of Peter is about celebrating a church that is endowed with the right teaching about Christ. It is the celebration of the truth about Christ. It is a call to open wide the door of salvation to the ignorant. It is an invitation to pursue the course of knowing Christ and his unique mission on earth. It is a celebration of knowledge. Knowledge is power; the key of access to the kingdom of heaven.
In our christian journey, may we experience the real person of Jesus Christ, may we possess a perfect knowledge of him, that we may bear fitting witness to his holy name. Amen.
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