A Lenten Word - Strengths and Weaknesses

Homily for Thursday of the First Week in Lent

Even though today is the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, I thought I would continue in the mode that I have been using since the beginning of Lent; namely, mindfulness cues. So, the mindfulness word or phrase for today is strengths and weaknesses.

From the First Letter of St. Peter we read that a leader in the community should lead not by constraint but willingly, not for profit but with eagerness. So, the sacred author of this letter places before us to examples of a strength and the weakness that oftentimes comes together. Community leaders might occasionally think that ordering members of the community to perform a specific task would be far easier than trying to get the community to act willingly. We don’t have to look too far to find leaders who are looking for a way to enrich themselves but are not eager to get one’s hands dirty by working with others.

The Gospel text for today is the very familiar scene of Jesus asking the apostles how people see him. It is Simon Peter who stands up and speaks for the rest of the apostles by telling Jesus that they regard him as the Christ, the anointed one who has been sent by God. Just a few verses later, Jesus rebukes Simon Peter and calls him an obstacle.

Today might be a good day to look at our own strengths and weaknesses. Lent is a time to look at our weaknesses and to determine the strengths that we might need to overcome them. As St. Paul says in his Letter to the Philippians, “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” We enjoy the same strength through the grace that we receive through our allegiance to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.