Feast days in the Church originally celebrated the events of salvation history rather than elements of doctrine. The great feasts are clear on this point. The Annunciation and Christmas celebrate the event of the Incarnation. Easter celebrates the event of the Resurrection. Later on, feast days were instituted to celebrate major doctrines of our faith: Trinity, Sacred Heart, Corpus Christi, Christ the King.

Today's celebration of the "Chair of St Peter" is, in some sense, the celebration of both an element of doctrine and of the event which gave rise to this doctrine. In the image of the "Chair" we celebrate the grace of Peter's pontifical authority. The Gospel recounts the event in the life of Jesus when He conferred this great grace on Peter.

Every celebration of grace is a celebration of the mystery of Jesus. There is no grace except the grace which Jesus won for us on the Cross and which the Holy Trinity pours out upon us through the mediation of Jesus, our great High Priest. Peter's authority is no human design but the grace of Jesus bestowed on His Church, in order to preserve the Church's unity and holiness.