Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle: "“You are the Christ"

Pictured: The Altar of the Chair of Peter in Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome

"... you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."

-- Mt 16:13-19

    The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope. -- CCC 881

    "The solemn Feast of today received from our forefathers the name of that of St Peter's Chair at Antioch, because there is a tradition that it was on this day that Peter, first of the Apostles, was enthroned in a Bishop's Chair. Rightly, therefore, do the Churches observe the first day of that Chair, the right to which the Apostle received for the salvation of the Churches from the Lord of the Churches Himself, with the words: Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church."

- From the Sermons of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.