Word of the Week

Third Sunday of Easter

Peter (Gk.): Petros: meaning “rock” or “stone”

Simon, whom Jesus renamed Peter, was the foundation upon which Christ would build his Church (Mt.16:19), was a fisherman by trade and apostle by God’s calling (Mt.4:18-22; Lk.1:1-11; Mk.1:20). Peter was the first to confess Jesus to be the Christ, the son of the living God (CCC 442). He was head of the Apostles and the first Bishop of Rome; recognized as the chief shepherd of the universal Church. His office is the visible head of the Kingdom of God here on earth (CCC 765, 862).
 
Peter is found over three times more than any other Apostle in the New Testament writings. Many biblical scholars attribute this to the divine commission given to Peter from Christ (Mt.16:13-20; Jn.21:16-19). Simon is himself the rock, upon which Jesus builds the Church. NT evidence suggests Jesus originally addressed Peter in Aramaic. In this language, the word kepha is the equivalent of Peter and denotes “sizeable rock”—one suitable for building upon it a foundation” (Hahn and Minch, 47). Reflecting upon the Old Testament, Simon’s name change recalls OT events where God renamed Abram as Abraham (Gn.17:5) and Jacob as Israel (Gn.32:28).  Peter stands in this biblical tradition whereby a name change signifies an elevation of status in salvation history (consider Saul to Paul) (Hahn and Minch, 47). Jesus establishes Peter as the foundation stone of the new covenant Church--the Prince of the New Kingdom. The Ignatius Catholic Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew also highlights another core truth to Peter’s name change in its meaning ‘sizeable rock’: “Just as the Temples of the OT were built upon a great stone (1 kings 5:17; Ezra 3:10) so Jesus builds his NT church upon the foundational rock of Peter (Rev.21:14)” (Hahn and Minch, 47).

During the Easter season, it is fitting to reflect upon the prominent role Peter had as the first shepherd of the Church and how he participated in the life of the early Church.  I would like to consider several examples. First, we see Peter assume his role as the Vicar of Christ by overseeing the replacement of Judas with Matthias (Acts 1:15-26). Second, we hear in our readings from this week, the Third Sunday in Easter, Peter offering a grand sermon on how Christ has fulfilled all that was come to pass for the salvation of mankind, the first of its kind. He then calls out the faithful to repent and be baptized (echoing the Baptist) (Acts 2:14-41). Furthermore, he was the first to perform a miracle through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 3:1-10. Essentially, Christ had a plan for Peter, and he makes this clear in not only the gospels but also the Book of Acts.
 
Peter’s office is one that was built on his confession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt.16:16). This proclamation of mystery establishes his hierarchal role as head of the Church. We too are called to profess to the world the mysteries of the Church by our own confession of faith, proclaiming that Jesus is ‘the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ In this way, we become stones hewn into the one cornerstone which is Christ, supreme head of the Church.

“Where Peter is, there is the Church”

--St Ambrose

Primary Texts Consulted

•  Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
•  Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.
• Hahn, Scott and Minch, Curtis. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, RSV, 2nd ed. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2000.

The Catholic Hour Home Page
Comments or Questions?
Contact Webmaster