NOTES for Mat 16:13-19
Peter stands out from Christ’s other disciples not only by his age and the leadership traits in his character. All this is insufficient for the astonishing promise Jesus gives him (Matt. 16:18). Perhaps Peter’s most important quality, which makes him the second most significant person in the Gospel, is that he responds immediately and actively to every new situation in his relationship with Christ. He scarcely deliberates; he often makes mistakes, but he is not passive—he makes an effort. It is Peter who tries to walk on water; he is the first of the disciples to perform miracles of healing and resurrection. There are of course other paths to holiness, but Christ places Peter’s holiness at the foundation of the Church’s holiness.