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Gospel: Matthew 16: 13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “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 netherworld 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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One of my favorite paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is: The Penitent Saint Peter, by Jusepe de Ribera.
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The painting depicts Peter as an old man weeping, kneeling against a rock with his hands clasped in prayer, much like Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Although Peter’s in possession of the keys to the kingdom, which the Lord gives him in today’s Gospel, a tear is falling from Peter’s eye, reminding us that he’s a frail old man.
Is Peter seeking God’s forgiveness? Is he praying for strength? Is he interceding for a particular person, even his entire flock, the Church?
One can only imagine.
But Ribera’s point is clear: although Peter is Christ’s representative on earth, charged with leading the Church forward, he needs God’s strength no less than we do.
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That warm little tear falling from Peter’s eye reminds me of a bit of advice I received in seminary:
“After you’re ordained,” I was told, “you’ll be able to act in the name of Christ. You’ll celebrate Mass! But you’ll be just as human as you were before you were ordained. Priestly ordination never irons out your weaknesses. Only hours spent in prayer can do that.”
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Prayer strengthens our spirit while ironing out our weaknesses.
It’s why we find Peter kneeling against that rock.
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Many things could be said about his unique role in the Church – and the authority each of his successors retains on earth – but perhaps it’s enough today to reflect on this:
Christ prayed. Peter prayed. We must pray… and all the more intently during Lent!
Those intimate moments of silence slowly make us more and more like Christ.
Saint Peter, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Christ Handing the Keys of Heaven to the Apostle Peter, Pietro Perugino (2) The Penitent Saint Peter, Jusepe De Ribera (3) eBay, The Garden of Gethsemane