About the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
Feast Day: February 22
This feast day is not really just to celebrate a piece of furniture. Instead, it commemorates the importance of the role of St. Peter and all of his successors throughout history.
So this feast recognizes the importance of the papal authority and reminds us of the role of the Pope as the shepherd of the Church.
Daily Mass Readings for the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle
- First Reading – 1 Peter 5:1-4: “Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
- Gospel – Matthew 16:13-19: “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
Resources
Quote and Social Media Graphic
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
Matthew 16:18-20
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
These were the men whom God used to spread the gospel and let the early Church thrive despite terrible persecution. Their flaws should give us hope, that God can also work through us.
The Petrine Principal
The pope is the successor of St. Peter. This reflection for the feast of the Chair of St. Peter explains how papal authority has been passed down through the history of the Church.