The Chair of Peter

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beloved community, Chair of Peter, Jesus, St. Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today’s feast could seem strange to people who are literalists. Why, when religious feasts are commonly associated with saints, would there be one (today – February 22nd), celebrating a piece of furniture: the “chair of Peter?” It really isn’t a difficult puzzle to solve but it does have an interesting story (too long for this post) that is an example of a “synecdoche (sin-NEK-da-kee), a figure of speech in which a term for a part of something refers to the whole of something or vice versa,”—e.g. the chair of Peter for the role of Peter in Christianity. (Language teachers love that one…)

I thought of that not only because St. Peter was so central to the growth of the Church. I was also aware of Peter’s relationship with Jesus. He certainly wasn’t perfect; the gospels are full of his missteps but that is another gift to the Church, I think. Jesus needed someone to lean on occasionally—or maybe more often…He needed a friend, someone to go with him up into the hills to pray with him when things got too much to handle…when people turned against Jesus or when they didn’t understand him. He needed support when people were wondering who he was and Peter was the only one who recognized the mission of Jesus early on.

Peter’s mission was that of companion to Jesus as well as representative of the “beloved community” that was building because of the presence of Christ in the world. We all need that. I think today that I will spend time reflecting on those generous people who have offered me friendship during my life and giving thanks to God for the gifts that I have received because of them. Won’t you join me in that endeavor?

Peter and Paul

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conversion, faith, inspiration, St. Paul, St. Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today Christians everywhere are celebrating two of the “founding fathers” of Christianity: Saints Peter and Paul. It’s interesting to note that, being the “stars” of the historical and Scriptural story, they don’t have a feast day of their own, but have to share the spotlight! It isn’t as if they came on the scene together. Paul never met Jesus “in the flesh,” while Peter was one of the original twelve followers of Christ. We know Peter as much for his weaknesses as for his strengths while Paul appears (after his cinematic first appearance on the scriptural stage) to be a staunch follower of Christ throughout.

It’s clear from the lectionary readings that St. Paul never wavered in his faith after his conversion. His testimony (2 TM 4: 6-8. 17-18) is stirring and ultimately gives the credit for everything to Christ who has rescued him from his former life of persecuting Christians. This morning, however, I see just a tinge of the former ranking officer as he says, “I have competed well; I have finished the race…the crown of righteousness awaits me…” (I smile at that, knowing that we never outgrow ourselves totally in our conversions!)

Peter gets the prize today in my estimation, however (if we are to award a prize…). We have a story from the Acts of the Apostles (12: 1-11), a great narration of Peter’s rescue from prison by an angel. More important for us, I think, is the gospel passage from Matthew (16: 13-19), a moment when Jesus asked the disciples about what people were saying about his identity. They reported hearing that he might be a prophet or maybe even the return of John the Baptist. Then comes the question of the day – or of a lifetime: “But who do you say that I am?” We need to remember that this was before the Crucifixion and the Resurrection…somewhere in their travels with this amazing preacher, but not the Christ that we now know. It was Peter who spoke up that day with a faith that carried him through several failures as well as some glorious successes. “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.” I believe that the faith which prompted that response from Peter was grounded in his great love for Jesus, a love that did not necessarily mean perfection in his living, but rather in a willingness to never stop trying.

We can learn a lot from today: the amazing zeal and accomplishment of Paul coupled with the love and steadfastness of Peter can be a source of inspiration and a way to accept our personal manner of Christian living. Whether we have an easy walk or a stone-littered path with Jesus, we can celebrate those models who first encountered Jesus the Christ and who remain for us today.

Peter, A Success Story

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Acts of the Apostles, church, gifts, Holy Spirit, power of God, St. Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Chapter 9 of the Acts of the Apostles speaks of the many miraculous happenings as the Church was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers. (vs. 31) As I read those lines from today’s lectionary text and the following examples of healings by Peter (vs.32-42) I tried to catch the feeling of power that must have accompanied their work. I thought then of Peter’s history and wondered if it was difficult at that point for him to remember that the power came from the Holy Spirit and not from himself.

Sometimes it takes awhile for us to truly wake up to the gifts that we have been given for good. Like Peter, some of us are impetuous and dive into things without much thought. Our intentions are good but we jump too fast without considering all of the consequences. On the contrary some of us are too slow to move for fear of making a mistake. There comes a time, however, if we are motivated by pure love, when something shifts within us and we can look in the mirror and see our true face. At that moment – and ever thereafter – we are certain of the power of God that is our heritage and our strength. We let go of the desire to be someone extraordinary and are content and able to listen for what some have called “the still, small voice of God” that works in us and companions us in our every moment.

I trust that as the Church grew, Peter grew as well in humility, trust and confidence. I believe that we, too, have the possibility of such “success.”

The Quality of Mercy

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Matthew, mercy, patience, Pope Francis, sacrifice, St. Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Often when I open the USCCB website where I find the lectionary readings for the day there is a line that jumps out from the page and calls for my attention. Today I didn’t have to look too deeply as it was already italicized. The sentence from chapter 12 of Matthew’s gospel has God saying, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I thought immediately of Pope Francis and the focus early in his pontificate which has continued unabated. He even wrote a more than one book about mercy so it’s very easy to quote  him on the subject. Here is something from his homily in 2013 on Divine Mercy Sunday that reminds us of the fact that even the closest friends of Jesus needed mercy for their failings – and they got it!

Let us…remember Peter: three times he denied Jesus, precisely when he should have been closest to him; and when he hits bottom he meets the gaze of Jesus who patiently, wordlessly, says to him, “Peter, don’t be afraid of your weakness, trust in Me.” Peter understands, he feels the loving gaze of Jesus and he weeps. How beautiful this gaze of Jesus – how much tenderness is there! Brothers and sisters, let us never lose trust in the patience and mercy of God!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter, Paul and Us

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Christianity, energy, saints, St. Paul, St. Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vision

We all come to God in our own time and in our own way. Whether we are born into a religious tradition that nurtures our faith in an organic way for the duration of our life or have a moment of recognition brought on by an extraordinary event, our life journey is as unique as our thumbprint and just as special.

Today we celebrate the lives of Saints Peter and Paul, perhaps the two people most responsible for the spread of Christianity. Peter was with Jesus from the beginning of his public life. His commitment to Jesus was total even though his impulsive words and actions often got him into trouble. Paul came later, never having seen Jesus until a shocking vision changed his life forever.

As we contemplate the lives of these two giants of faith let us consider that everything about us is important to the God who created us. Our personality – whether steady or erratic, our natural inclinations and ways of working, our gifts for mathematics or poetry and more…all create an energy in the world that would not be released had we not come to birth.

So let us be grateful for the sainthood in each one of us – hidden for now or manifest – as we celebrate Paul and Peter, the man of means and the fisherman, who joined forces and changed the world. And let us not be self-effacing in the possibility that lies within us to do our part in what is evolving in our own day.

 

 

 

 

 

The Chair of Peter

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"servant-authority", acknowledge human failings, Chair of Peter, cowardly, faith, humble service, impefections, impetuous, Jesus, love of Jesus, Matthew, Peter, Pope Francis, real person, Roman Catholic Church, St. Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today the Roman Catholic Church calendar commemorates Christ’s choice of St. Peter as the “servant-authority” of what has become the Church. I love that decision that Scripture tells us Jesus made (MT 16:13-19) when Peter was the one – the only one – to voice an answer to the question Jesus put to the disciples about his identity: Who do you say I am? I say that the decision pleased me because in reading the gospels it seems unlikely that Peter would be the choice for such a position. He was impetuous (jumping out of a boat, thinking he could walk on water)and cowardly at times (denying Jesus to the enemy – more than once) and missing the point of amazing moments (“Let’s stay here!” on the mountain of the Transfiguration rather than returning to ministry). I don’t think Jesus overlooked these imperfections but rather made his judgment on other things he saw in Peter that came to fruition later in the game of life. Clearly, the motivating factor in Peter’s life was his love of Jesus and his willingness to acknowledge his human failings.

I don’t know if it was serendipity or clear choice that placed an article entitled “Being Human: Pope Francis Delights Many, Frustrates Some” on the americancatholic.org website this morning next to the “Saint of the Day” column. In any case, for me the analogy is quite strong. Here is a bit of what author Cindy Wooden says after the recent visit of the Pope to Mexico.

In Pope Francis, Catholics can see a real person trying to live his faith in a complicated world. Sometimes he waves at them and they can see the frayed edges of his soutane sleeve. When his sciatica is acting up, he needs extra help going down the steps. His aides do not keep his reading glasses so sometimes he fumbles with the soutane pocket trying to get them out. Crowds “ahhh” when he tenderly strokes the face of an obviously sick person and they applaud when he gives a big hug to a child. However, they can be shocked when the human side of the pope is impatience or downright anger like it was Feb. 16 in Morelia, Mexico, when one of the thousands of people who grab at the pope at public events yanked him, pulling him on top of a person seated in a wheelchair. “What’s the matter with you?” the pope snapped. “Don’t be selfish!” While security officers helped the pope back up, Pope Francis caressed the face of the boy he’d fallen on.

It’s a great article and God’s Spirit certainly knew the right thing in the choice of this successor to the “Chair of Peter.” There is much more to Pope Francis than these homely moments illustrate and the rest of the article shows. Love of God and all others as well as willingness to answer the call to humble service are the hallmarks of this Pope’s life. What an example! What a blessing he is! I will take him with me as companion today and try to follow his example in every encounter. And I will pray in thanksgiving for this extraordinary gift of presence in our Church for all the world.

 

Call and Response

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Advent, be ready, choices, decisions, fishermen, Jesus, journey, Luke, Messiah, Simon Peter, St. Andrew, St. Peter, stay awake, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vocation

I was slow this morning to answer the wake up call of my alarm. Perhaps it was the cold (20F degrees) or the fading dream that made me want just a little more time under the blankets. After surrendering to the morning 15 minutes later, armed with my first cup of hot coffee, I went to read about St. Andrew, the saint of the day. I found what I already knew: that Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter, a fisherman, called as one of the first disciples. There was virtually no other information about Andrew personally, except that he was the one, before the miracle of the loaves and fishes, who spoke up about the boy who had some food with him. We only have legend to tell that he preached the gospel to people in what is now Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras, now the third largest city in Greece.

Not satisfied, I dug a little deeper by reviewing all the canonical gospel stories of Andrew. In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, his call to be a disciple is recounted in the same way. Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee and sees Andrew with his brother, Simon, plying their trade as fishermen and calls both of them with the direct, if strange invitation: Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. In Luke’s gospel, the spotlight is on Simon Peter, who has a conversation about his unworthiness to be offered such a call by Jesus; Andrew is not mentioned until chapter six where the entire group of apostles is named. John’s version of the story is altogether different as Andrew becomes a major player. Originally a disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew and another disciple of John are present when Jesus again walks into their midst the day after John first recognizes Jesus as God’s Chosen One. They follow Jesus and when he turns around to ask what they’re looking for, they answer with a question: “Rabbi, where do you stay?” At the invitation to “Come and see,” they go along. After spending the day with Jesus, the first thing Andrew does is to seek out his brother Simon to tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” Then he brings Simon to Jesus.

All of this made me consider the notion of call and where it leads when it is heard. How was it that I came to know my vocation in life? Did it grow organically or was it a lightning bolt that shifted my perspective on everything? Did someone invite me to something I had not considered or introduce me to someone who changed my life direction? Did I hear a lecture or take a course that made things fall into place for me? And what have been the events/circumstances that have occasioned the less dramatic decisions in my life, the everyday choices I have made? How do I keep on the path every day?

In this season of Advent, when the call to “Stay awake!” and “Be ready!” is the daily message, we would do well to think on these things and sharpen our ear to hear what might be a next step on our journey.