The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, resonate with our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader to renew our practice of supporting and practicing leadership of the followers of the Good Shepherd.
The reading from the First Letter of Peter exhorts us to imitate Christ in tending the Flock of God.
* [5:1–4] In imitation of Christ, the chief shepherd, those entrusted with a pastoral office are to tend the flock by their care and example.
* [5:1] Presbyters: the officially appointed leaders and teachers of the Christian community (cf. 1 Tm 5:17–18; Ti 1:5–8; Jas 5:14).
Psalm 23 praises the Divine Shepherd.
* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10).
* [23:1] My shepherd: God as good shepherd is common in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Ez 34:11–16; Jn 10:11–18).
* [23:3] Right paths: connotes “right way” and “way of righteousness.”
* [23:5] You set a table before me: this expression occurs in an exodus context in Ps 78:19. In front of my enemies: my enemies see that I am God’s friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Ps 104:15; Mt 26:7; Lk 7:37, 46; Jn 12:2).
* [23:6] Goodness and mercy: the blessings of God’s covenant with Israel. (Psalms, PSALM 23, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew presents Peter’s Declaration about Jesus.
* [16:13–20] The Marcan confession of Jesus as Messiah, made by Peter as spokesman for the other disciples (Mk 8:27–29; cf. also Lk 9:18–20), is modified significantly here. The confession is of Jesus both as Messiah and as Son of the living God (Mt 16:16). Jesus’ response, drawn principally from material peculiar to Matthew, attributes the confession to a divine revelation granted to Peter alone (Mt 16:17) and makes him the rock on which Jesus will build his church (Mt 16:18) and the disciple whose authority in the church on earth will be confirmed in heaven, i.e., by God (Mt 16:19).
* [16:13] Caesarea Philippi: situated about twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee in the territory ruled by Philip, a son of Herod the Great, tetrarch from 4 B.C. until his death in A.D. 34 (see note on Mt 14:1). He rebuilt the town of Paneas, naming it Caesarea in honor of the emperor, and Philippi (“of Philip”) to distinguish it from the seaport in Samaria that was also called Caesarea. Who do people say that the Son of Man is?: although the question differs from the Marcan parallel (Mk 8:27: “Who…that I am?”), the meaning is the same, for Jesus here refers to himself as the Son of Man (cf. Mt 16:15).
* [16:14] John the Baptist: see Mt 14:2. Elijah: cf. Mal 3:23–24; Sir 48:10; and see note on Mt 3:4. Jeremiah: an addition of Matthew to the Marcan source.
* [16:16] The Son of the living God: see Mt 2:15; 3:17. The addition of this exalted title to the Marcan confession eliminates whatever ambiguity was attached to the title Messiah. This, among other things, supports the view proposed by many scholars that Matthew has here combined his source’s confession with a post-resurrectional confession of faith in Jesus as Son of the living God that belonged to the appearance of the risen Jesus to Peter; cf. 1 Cor 15:5; Lk 24:34.
* [16:17] Flesh and blood: a Semitic expression for human beings, especially in their weakness. Has not revealed this…but my heavenly Father: that Peter’s faith is spoken of as coming not through human means but through a revelation from God is similar to Paul’s description of his recognition of who Jesus was; see Gal 1:15–16, “…when he [God]…was pleased to reveal his Son to me….”
* [16:18] You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: the Aramaic word kēpā’ meaning rock and transliterated into Greek as Kēphas is the name by which Peter is called in the Pauline letters (1 Cor 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:4; Gal 1:18; 2:9, 11, 14) except in Gal 2:7–8 (“Peter”). It is translated as Petros (“Peter”) in Jn 1:42. The presumed original Aramaic of Jesus’ statement would have been, in English, “You are the Rock (Kēpā’) and upon this rock (kēpā’) I will build my church.” The Greek text probably means the same, for the difference in gender between the masculine noun petros, the disciple’s new name, and the feminine noun petra (rock) may be due simply to the unsuitability of using a feminine noun as the proper name of a male. Although the two words were generally used with slightly different nuances, they were also used interchangeably with the same meaning, “rock.” Church: this word (Greek ekklēsia) occurs in the gospels only here and in Mt 18:17 (twice). There are several possibilities for an Aramaic original. Jesus’ church means the community that he will gather and that, like a building, will have Peter as its solid foundation. That function of Peter consists in his being witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it: the netherworld (Greek Hadēs, the abode of the dead) is conceived of as a walled city whose gates will not close in upon the church of Jesus, i.e., it will not be overcome by the power of death.
* [16:19] The keys to the kingdom of heaven: the image of the keys is probably drawn from Is 22:15–25 where Eliakim, who succeeds Shebna as master of the palace, is given “the key of the House of David,” which he authoritatively “opens” and “shuts” (Is 22:22). Whatever you bind…loosed in heaven: there are many instances in rabbinic literature of the binding-loosing imagery. Of the several meanings given there to the metaphor, two are of special importance here: the giving of authoritative teaching, and the lifting or imposing of the ban of excommunication. It is disputed whether the image of the keys and that of binding and loosing are different metaphors meaning the same thing. In any case, the promise of the keys is given to Peter alone. In Mt 18:18 all the disciples are given the power of binding and loosing, but the context of that verse suggests that there the power of excommunication alone is intended. That the keys are those to the kingdom of heaven and that Peter’s exercise of authority in the church on earth will be confirmed in heaven show an intimate connection between, but not an identification of, the church and the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)
George Butterfield asks how can a priest, a shepherd, be like the chief Shepherd?
The psalmist says that the Lord is the type of shepherd who refreshes his soul. It is true that preaching and teaching the truth can unsettle people, but can a good shepherd also lead his flock beside restful waters? A good shepherd walks with his flock. As many have said, a shepherd will smell like the sheep. He is at their side when they walk through the dark valley. I work with elderly and sick people, and I have seen the darkness overcome in a patient who has their pastor by their side. A good priest gives his people courage and hope; he points them to the house of the Lord where they will dwell forever. (Butterfield, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes Epiphanius, a 6th century Scripture scholar who also translated many early church commentaries from Greek into Latin, who explains the significance of Jesus handing down the "keys of the kingdom".
For Christ is a rock which is never disturbed or worn away. Therefore Peter gladly received his name from Christ to signify the established and unshaken faith of the church.... The devil is the gateway of death who always hastens to stir up against the holy church calamities and temptations and persecutions. But the faith of the apostle, which was founded upon the rock of Christ, abides always unconquered and unshaken. And the very keys of the kingdom of the heavens have been handed down so that one whom he has bound on earth has been bound in heaven, and one whom he has set free on earth he has also set free in heaven. (INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 28) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 16:13-19 comments that we can recount the ways in which the graces and blessings of the Church have touched our own lives: the youth group that led us to experience the joy of Christ, the Catholic school teacher who taught us the truths of the faith, or the chapel that became our place of encounter with the Lord. In these ways, and so many more, the Church has helped heaven come to earth in our lives!
So trust that God is faithful to his promises! He will continue to keep the Church united, even as he deepens our communion. In the end, Jesus will be victorious over all the forces of darkness in this world—and in our hearts.
“Lord, build your Church up in unity and charity so that it may continue to be a stream of life and grace to the world.” (Meditation on Matthew 16:13-19, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Letter of Peter exhorts presbyters to care for the flock like shepherds. Jesus' interaction with Peter includes the triple command to “feed my flock”. This may be to heal Peter’s denial or to use the Hebrew superlative to direct Peter to be the most loving. Friar Jude notes that the bind and loosing that we associate today with the forgiveness of sins was the power of the rabbi to decide how to apply the Law in Jesus’ time.
Brian McLaren points to Jesus’ time in the wilderness as essential to his spiritual journey, one that he invites his disciples to engage in as well.
To become disciples of a rabbi meant entering a rigorous program of transformation, learning a new way of life, a new set of values [and] skills. It meant … facing a new set of dangers on the road. Once they were thoroughly apprenticed as disciples, they would then be sent out as apostles to spread the rabbi’s controversial and challenging message everywhere. One did not say yes to discipleship lightly. [1] (McLaren, 2024)
We contemplate Psalm 23 as a long standing guide to the way in which leaders of faith communities can accompany the flock and be the compassion that Pope Francis has noted causes the shepherd to smell like the sheep.
References
Butterfield, G. (2024, February 21). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/022224.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/16?13
McLaren, B. (2024, February 22). Following Jesus Is a Journey — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/following-jesus-is-a-journey/
Meditation on Matthew 16:13-19. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/02/22/900093/
1 Peter, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1peter/5?1
Psalms, PSALM 23. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=feb22a
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