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| Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. |
The feast of the
Chair of St. Peter
in Rome is celebrated by the Church on February 22.
From the earliest times this feast was held to commemorate the day when St.
Peter held his first service in Rome with the faithful. The feast reminds us of
the supreme authority conferred on the Apostle by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
to teach and guide the Church. This authority continues to be honoured in the
Church in the unbroken line of the papacy. On this day, the Christian community
celebrates the unity of the Church, established by the Master Himself, and
renews her assent to the supreme authority of the Pope who guides the Church
together with his brother bishops.
A
sincere young seeker approached me at a gathering. He asked me, “Father, you
preached well that Jesus Christ was sent to the world to save mankind.” As I
thanked him, I knew that he had something more to say and was merely preparing
the ground. He began sharing his apprehensions about the Catholic Church which
he assured me was where he was born and which he respects. “I believe however
that Jesus did not come to start a religion or a system. He came to this earth
to pay the price of our sins. He taught us how to live out our commitment to
Him in order to experience salvation in our day-to-day life. All that we need
to know is there for us in the Bible. After having completed His mission, He
returned to His Father. To live out our faith is our personal choice as we opt
to be guided by the Word of God. Why then do we unnecessarily saddle the faith
with an administrative structure, code of conduct, compendium of official
teachings and ritualistic practices which are all anyhow later accidental
additions? Why are we muffling the saving message of Jesus? This superstructure
is not a necessary part of our faith. It is up to the individual to accept it
or not. Do you not think that what is important is our personal faith
commitment to the Person of Jesus?”
“We Appeal To You Not To Receive The Grace Of God In Vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1)
We are living in an age where self-styled gurus are flourishing by their
marketing of a superficial spirituality that offers a cheap grace of salvation
without discipline. I was reminded of
the words of the great theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who describes this well
- “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the
preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church
discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship,
grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
I
was not surprised at the young man’s apprehensions. Since he evinced a keen
faith in the Bible and seemed sincerely interested in the truth, I realized my
task would not be difficult.
A
study of the Sacred Scriptures would reveal to us the fallacy and danger of such
a brand of individualistic Christianity. The Gospels affirm in no unclear terms
that Jesus established a hierarchical structure of authority to guide and teach
the community of His followers. In this sacred hierarchy, St. Peter was given
by the Lord Himself, the supreme role as the Head of the Church. The history of
the Church also clarifies that this primacy of St. Peter was accepted in the
Christian community from the earliest times.
“Built Upon The Foundation Of The Apostles And Prophets” (Ephesians 2:20)
Jesus,
in the gospels, chooses twelve disciples from among His followers. The choice
is done with much care. St. Luke tells us that the Lord prayed the whole night and in the
morning He called his disciples and chose twelve of them to be Apostles, calling
each one by name (Luke 6:12-13). They were chosen to be with Him and to receive
authority to preach and cast out demonic powers (Mark 3:14-15). From then on, Jesus was always found with the twelve. The number twelve
is particularly significant in the Scriptures. Simon Peter once asked Jesus
what would be the privilege of these chosen ones who left everything to follow
Him. Jesus replied, “You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28) Sitting on
the throne and judging are expressions that signify authority and power. The
people of God in the Old Testament were gathered in twelve tribes. The new
people of God whose identity was in Jesus will be those gathered by the
preaching of the twelve Apostles and baptized and sanctified by them.
After a hectic time of ministry Jesus looking at the twelve said, "Do
not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you
the kingdom." (Luke 12:32) On another occasion, after preaching to the
crowds in parables, Jesus explained the meaning of the parables to the twelve
in private and commented, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of
the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 13:11)
“Feed My Sheep” (John 21:17)
Among the twelve disciples, Simon Peter receives the prime position of
authority. He is chosen as the spokesperson of the twelve bearing witness to
the Divine nature and salvific mission of Jesus. Even at the first meeting with
him, Jesus indicates his special role in the Kingdom as the Lord confers on
this big fisherman a new name - “You are Simon son of John; you will be called
Cephas.” (John 1:42) The evangelist
explains that Cephas means Peter or rock. St. Matthew describes in detail the
occasion when this unique and significant grace was given to Peter. Jesus had
posed a question to all the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew
16:15) Simon Peter alone gives the bold answer - "You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) At this declaration of the Messianic mission
of Jesus, the Master confirms him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I
say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the
gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it. I will give you the
keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew
16:17-19) Here Jesus in His own words
speaks of a determination to raise a community of His followers in the Church
and also of His clear vision that Peter must be at the helm of this institution.
The trust that Christ places in a human person is overwhelming. But along with this
trust and responsibility, we come to see that an overwhelming grace is
provided.
When some of those who had been following Jesus walk away after the
discourse on the Holy Eucharist, Jesus turned to the twelve for their response
asking them, “Do you also want to leave?” Here it is Simon Peter who spoke up,
affirming their faith in the Master's words - "Master, to whom shall we
go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
Peter’s unique responsibility is again affirmed before the Passion. At
the Last Supper, Jesus anticipates the major turmoil that was to come with His Passion
and Death, the denial of Peter and desertion of all the other disciples. It is
still to Simon Peter that the Lord turns and gives the charge to hold the disciples
together, “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for
you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back,
strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)
“Peter, Filled With The Holy Spirit, Answered Them” (Acts 4:8)
There
was already an unspoken acknowledgement of the primacy of Peter among the
twelve. The gospel describes how Peter and John having heard of the glorious Resurrection
ran together to the tomb. Though the young John reached first, he waits for
Simon Peter to arrive and to go in and verify the empty tomb. So Peter could become
among the twelve the first witness to the Resurrection. The Gospel of John
concludes with the Risen Lord giving Simon Peter the charge to lead the flock
of God. "Feed my lambs... Tend my sheep... Feed my sheep.”
(John 21:15-17)
There
is clear proof that in the early Church, Simon Peter was looked to as the decision
making authority. After the Ascension, Simon Peter heads the disciples in prayer.
The Acts of the Apostles records how he takes the leadership to elect a new
apostle in the place of Judas the betrayer.
At Pentecost, those who waited and prayed in the Upper Room were
anointed with the Holy Spirit. A big crowd of people gathered having seen and
heard the extraordinary phenomena of the anointing. Peter declares to them with
great conviction and authority that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah expected by
the Jews, prepared for by the prophets and sent by the Father. He exhorts the
people to believe in Jesus and to be baptized in Him was the only way of
salvation. The account continues to describe that hearing him, they were cut to
the heart with repentance and three thousand of them came forward to be
baptized. Peter goes with John to clarify the faith of the early Christian
community to the Sanhedrin, the highest council of the Jews (Acts 4).
Undeterred by threat of persecution, he affirms his conviction to proclaim the
life-giving message of the Saviour no matter what it must cost him, “Whether it
is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from
speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)
As the first Pope, Simon Peter was instrumental in making the Church
truly Catholic. In prayer, he is inspired by God to evangelize the Gentiles, till
then excluded by the Jewish and Christian understanding from the hope of
salvation. Breaking new frontiers, Peter steps into the house of Cornelius the
Gentile Centurion and declares, “I truly understand that God shows no
partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is
right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of
Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - He is Lord of all.” (Acts 9:34-36) The account describes that “While Peter was
still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.” (v.44) Though he was initially criticized for staying
with the Gentiles, he would guide them to accept and love everyone the Lord
would bring into the fold. He would lead the community to persevere and grow in
its loving and committed proclamation.
There were problems in the early Christian community. But the Apostles
united with Simon Peter could guide them in the Light of the Spirit. When there
was a widespread argument in the early Church about matters of doctrine, Simon
Peter called all the leaders of the Church for the first Council known as the
Jerusalem Council and brought them to an understanding of what the Holy Spirit
would require of them and to reconciliation.
“The Gift of God You Have Through The Imposition Of My Hands” (2 Timothy 1:6)
Christ called His disciples to be united with Him and carry out His
salvific mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Even while He walked this
earth, He entrusted the disciples with this partnership in the salvation
mission. For the unity of the Church which is the Body of Christ and to
preserve the authenticity of the Teachings, the Lord Himself established a
clear hierarchical structure of authority. It was clear to the early Church
that this authority had to be respected. This God-given authority to guide and
protect the people of God was to be taken very seriously. “Pay careful
attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made
you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own
blood.” (Acts 20:28) In Galatia, there
were false teachers claiming divine revelations and confusing the people with
teachings contrary to the instructions of the apostles. St. Paul writes to them
in very clear terms - “Even if we or an
angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we
proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8)
It is evident therefore that obedience to the authority of the Church
has always been considered as integral part of the Faith itself. “When they had
appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they
committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” (Acts 14:23) What is to be believed in is to be taught in
strict adherence to the lines of the Apostolic Teaching. Church history records
that from these earliest times, the successors of the Apostles were chosen and
the Apostolic Authority was handed over to them by the laying of hands. St.
Paul writing to Timothy reminds him how he was chosen and given authority by the
laying of hands. “The gift you have was conferred on you through the prophetic
word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate.” (1 Timothy 4:14) He gives elaborate instructions to him about finding
a worthy person for the offices of bishop and deacons (1 Timothy 3). Paul
specifies that it is crucial that when Timothy chooses leaders of the Church by
the laying of hands, he must do so with utmost care (1 Timothy 5:22). Similarly,
he instructs Titus to preserve the tradition of the hierarchy - “Appoint elders
in every town as I directed you.” (Titus 1:5)
By this commitment to ensure the
continuation of the mission of Jesus, the Apostolic Authority has been passed
down to the Pope of Rome and the bishops in an unbroken succession.
Faithfulness to Jesus means faithfulness to the Church.
“My Grace Is Sufficient For You” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
The words of Jesus to the disciples are very striking - “As the Father
has sent me so I send you.” (John 20:21) The mission of the Apostles is a continuation
of the mission entrusted to Jesus by the Father. However weak and failing the
human persons may be, the Heavenly Power they are vested with will continue to
save the human race. I remember a moving scene in a film on the early Church.
The first Christians in the Roman catacombs had St. Paul leading them in
prayer. St. Peter was to reach Rome and they were preparing to receive him. With
much awe and reverence, Paul was relating to them the great authority the Lord
had trusted Peter with and the unwavering commitment that Peter had for the
Lord and of how the Holy Spirit was empowering Peter to be a rock on which the
Church had someone to lean on. A person Jesus trusted and the Church could
trust. At this moment Peter arrived and all were praising God. This was the
picture of the unity visualized by the Lord for the Church centered on Peter.
Peter greeted them with much love and joy! When he noticed their great love and
regard for him, he however choked and tears were flowing down his eyes. The
people looked at him puzzled and Peter clearing his throat spoke up. "I
know you are looking at me as the shepherd entrusted with the authority to
guide the Church. But I must tell you that I was a
coward, denying my master at the saddest moment of his life. When he was
ridiculed by the soldiers inside the room, I was warming myself by the
fireplace. I'm painfully aware of my unworthiness to shoulder this responsibility
for the Church and yet I know my Lord trusted me in His deep compassion for His
flock."
This attitude of Simon Peter reveals the heart of everyone entrusted
with a mission to teach, sanctify and guide the Church. When we hear of
scandals, often exaggerated by the media, we need to pray that our shepherds
may be strengthened by the Grace of the Lord. We can rest assured that the
spiritual authority remains with them by the faithful Love of God for us. This
is the Wisdom of God to preserve the Christian community in unity and
faithfulness to Him.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus, You came to the world sent by the Father to save us,
Your people. Your saving mission You have entrusted to the Holy Father, the
bishops and the priests united with each other and with You. We pray that Your Wisdom
to ensure the unity of Your faithful and the authenticity of the Teachings may
be accepted by all who bear Your Name.
May your Holy Spirit who descended on the Apostles on the
Pentecost day, the beginning of the Church, continue to strengthen the
successors of the Apostles to be faithful to You and to lead your Church in the
Power of the Spirit.
Amen.
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