The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

Today's Feast of the Chair of St. Peter takes on a whole new meaning in light of the fact the Chair of Peter will literally be vacant in less than a week. Perhaps some of us have taken the news of Pope Benedict's renunciation of the papal office with more than just sadness. Perhaps some of us are worried about the future of the Church during this period of uncertainty. We find our answers and solace in today's scriptures.

From Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

And from the Gospel of St. Matthew:

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.
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. [Emphasis added]

 In honor of Pope Benedict, I have added this video when he met with the priests from the Diocese of Rome in which, given the special circumstances, the invocation "Tu es Petrus" was sung.