Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

This is one of our feasts that I love.  Back when I was not even a Sunday Catholic, when I took my faith completely for granted, I did not realize the great gift that the Church is to us.  I did not realize the depths of mercy that gave us shepherds to guide and teach us, or sacraments to physically and spiritually touch us.  How empty and alone would our lives be without the presence of our Lord, and the material assurance of his forgiveness, presence, comfort and healing!


Thank you, Lord, for the great gift of the Church!  Thank you, also, for the leadership and teaching of our Holy Father.


How kind a Father to give us a foster father on earth--someone to lead us and guide us!  Even within the ranks of believers, it is so easy to go astray and to set up false ideas as Truth.  Yet I take to heart Jesus' own words--his promise concerning the faith of the Church:


And I say to you: That you are Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. (Matt 16: 18-19)


We have his Word in our Bible; we have his presence in the sacraments.  We have his instruction in our catechism.  The very Church itself is a cause for hope:  it is a source of God's favor and help.  May God bless our Church and our Holy Father!