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.
(Matthew 16:18)
Peter has just answered your question, “Who do you say that I am?” Lord, and now you tell him who he is. Often in the Bible, when you give someone a new commission, you assign a new name. So it was with Abraham, Sarah and Jacob. Later, when Saul began to witness to the gentiles, he would assume the Greek form of his name, “Paul.” Traditionally, popes take new names when elected, as do members of many religious communities when they receive the habit.
Peter, our rock, became the foundation of the Church; that same Peter who had said, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man,” the same Peter who floundered when he was walking toward you over the water, the same Peter who would try to dissuade you from the cross, who would say, “You will never wash my feet,” the Peter who would deny you three times and then affirm his love three times. The stubborn, impetuous man who so accurately reflects our human nature will become your representative.
We commemorate him today, along with Paul. You transformed both of them so that they lived no longer in themselves, but in you. They worked together to build your Church. They argued and then agreed. They were martyred for you. On this, their feast day, I beg you to increase my dedication to you. Thy will be done.