You Are Peter… (Matt. 16:18) Part 1

by Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.  |  05/11/2025  |  Weekly Reflection

Beloved Parishioners,

I send you my warmest greeting from our seminary in Nigeria where I am teaching the second- and third-year theologians preparing for their priestly ordination. As I continue my time with them, I want to share a reflection on the role of Peter the first pope of the Catholic Church.

Since the interment of Pope Francis, the 266th successor of Saint Peter, at the Sancta Maria Maggiore, the Church has been in eager longing and prayerful expectation, the media has been agog with a lot of information about the papacy and the paparazzis are seemingly not allowing the cardinals to focus on the General Assembly in preparation for the conclave. All eyes are literally on the cardinals and the Vatican and when we take a look into the readings we’ve had in our liturgy since Easter, we easily notice that we’ve been hearing mostly about the audacious and courageous deeds of the post-Easter Peter the apostle. All these draw us closer to wanting to examine the personality and role of Simon Peter in the Bible which we shall be embarking in this reflection.

Simon Peter was one of the first Jesus called among the Twelve. Luke records that Jesus called Simon after employing Simon’s boat for teaching the crowd and granting them the miracle of the catch of innumerable fish (Lk 5:1-11). Matthew concisely detailed that Simon was a fisherman who was on business with his brother Andrew when Jesus called (Mt 4:18-22). In both passages, the response of Peter to Jesus’ invitation was swift, drastic, complete, he “left everything and followed Jesus.” John was more dramatic in his account of Simon’s call. It was Andrew, Simon’s brother who was formerly John’s disciple, who took Simon to see the Lord, thereafter the Lord renamed Simon ‘Cephas’ which means rock. (Jn 1:40-42). In all, we see in Peter a model of a ready and willing disciple which I think to us must be exemplary.

Peter, James, and John were among the earliest of Jesus’ disciples who had been with Him the longest (Lk 5:4-11). For some reason which some theologians think may include a preparation for leadership roles, these three men were present with Jesus as inner circle members during the special events of Jesus’ life — being eyewitnesses of Jesus’ transfiguration (Mk 9:2-3), witnessing Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Lk 8:49-56), and accompanying Him while He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-38). Ultimately, it was Peter, who Jesus vested with the leadership role of the Church after he confessed the Messianic status of the latter. Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Mt 16:17-19). This primordial responsibility instituted by Jesus was explicit and direct such that one implies from it that Jesus himself intends that his Church be ordered and be responsibly administered in the same manner. This is the ordination of Peter as the first pope of the Church and the basis for a successor of Peter at all times in history.

We also see Christ’s effort to reconfirm Peter as the head of the Church following Peter’s failure and denial of Jesus during the crucifixion. The risen Lord restored Peter with three questions ascertaining Peter’s immense love for him after which he gave him the charge to take care of his sheep and as well to follow him (John 21:15-19). Christ intended Peter to confess his love and renew his commitment to the initial charge he had given him knowing fully well that sin may bring despair in our heart and only a word of assurance can rebuild our confidence before God. This is what he expects us every day to do: to forgive offenses willingly, to allow people a second chance for change, and to be committed to the sacrament of reconciliation each and every time we find ourselves transgressing.