Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

Lectionary: 535

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

 P eriodically and frequently, we must go back to basics and remember that "flesh and blood has not revealed this" to Peter or anyone else

Peter saw a man. He heard him speak, walked, ate, and worked with him. He saw him sleeping and awake, tired and refreshed, disappointed and satisfied. He knew this man as well as anyone knows anyone, and yet he declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

He saw something invisible, as we see something in the sacraments which flesh and blood has not revealed to us. We reverence the tabernacle with its precious contents though we cannot see the angels who hover around the Presence of God day and night. We worship the flesh and blood of Jesus although we see only bread and wine. 

And to go further, we believe the Lord founded the institution, the Church, which keeps, treasures, and announces our faith to the world. Our own eyes might not reveal much that is promising about the old people and their grandchildren who half-fill the pews each Sunday. We cannot see the Kingdom of God which Jesus insisted is "at hand," nor does that which is within our hearts always appear on our faces. 

As Saint Paul said, "we live by faith and not by sight." And we know, despite the careless indulgences that are urged upon us on every side, that the Judge is present, sees, governs, vindicates, and condemns: 

So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)