Simon Peter was a fisherman from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee, called by Jesus to leave his nets and become a fisher of men. He confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and was named the rock on which Christ would build his Church. He led the apostles after the Resurrection and was martyred in Rome under the emperor Nero. February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, celebrating the unity of the Church entrusted to his care.
Peter was not chosen for being perfect — he doubted, he sank in the waves, he even denied knowing Jesus. Yet he let himself be forgiven and got up again, and his weakness became the place where God's strength shone. His example teaches us that love, repeated and renewed, matters more to God than never falling.
Lord Jesus, who built your Church on Peter the fisherman, hold us steady on that rock when grief shakes us, and gather us, with those we love, into your one flock. Amen.Enter today’s Mass → All saints →