Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle – 1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 22:1-6; Matthew 16:13-19
From the moment we open our eyes each day, to the moment we close them again at night, we are bombarded with messages of self-sufficiency. This mantra, it seems, has become a rallying cry of modern times – a flag-bearing virtue for the ambitious and driven. It is echoed in the murmurs of those we know, in the headlines that flash across our digital screens, in the gripping narratives that line our bookshelves. The supposition? That independence – from our neighbours, from our society – gives us value, bestows upon us a unique identity and an inherent sense of self-worth.
And not only that: it would have us believe that individuality elevates us to a platform above our peers, granting us entitlements to. . . well, almost everything.
Yet, on this day of celebration, we are called to reflect on a powerful paradox. We’re reminded of Peter, the humble fisherman chosen by God to be the rock on which His Church was built. This example encourages us to question the conventional wisdom that surrounds us. Appearances, after all, can and often are, deceptive.
Our worth as Christians, as individuals and as members of our wider communities, is not derived from isolation. It is not measured by our ability to distance ourselves from others, to remain aloof in our self-reliance. Instead, it is rooted in the simple, humbling reality of Jesus’s choice – one of benevolence, trust and communal strength.
We find value not in the solitary pursuit of individualism, but in trusting those around us, those who have been chosen to lead with wisdom and courage. We find value in enduring together as a community, lifting one another up, granting each other the right to. . . well, almost everything. It is our engagement with each other, our shared prayers and faith, our interconnected lives that give us true worth.
Indeed, the secret to our true worth, our true identity, lies not in ruthless self-reliance but in connection, solidarity, and selflessness. This, above all others, is the message we should heed, embrace, and propagate – the true cornerstone on which our personal and collective worth should be built.