Blog Reflection: “Shepherd the Flock of God” — Reflections for the Feast of St. Martin, Pope and Martyr (III Class, Feria Quarta infra Hebdomadam XXII post Octavam Pentecostes)
Readings: 1 Peter 5:1–4, 10–11; Matthew 16:13–19
As we commemorate Sanctus Martinus Papa et Martyr, we are invited by Holy Mother Church to reflect upon the sacred office of the bishop, and most supremely, the Petrine ministry instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ. The appointed Epistle and Gospel for this III Class Feast, observed on November 3rd within the traditional Roman calendar, draw us deep into the theology of the episcopate and the foundational rock of the Church.
“Feed the flock of God…” (1 Peter 5:2)
In the Epistle (1 Peter 5:1–4, 10–11), the Prince of the Apostles exhorts the presbyters—those sharers in his apostolic ministry—to “feed the flock of God which is among you.” St. Peter speaks not as a distant prince, but as a fellow elder and “witness of the sufferings of Christ” (v.1). His command is imbued with pastoral warmth and apostolic gravity: the care of souls is not to be undertaken “by constraint, but willingly,” not “for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.”
This pastoral image evokes the ancient understanding of the bishop not as a bureaucrat or political figure, but as a shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. St. Gregory the Great, himself Pope and a model of episcopal holiness, writes in his Regula Pastoralis:
“The care of souls is the art of arts. For whoever undertakes the government of souls must prepare himself to give an account of them.” (Reg. Past. I,1)
St. Martin, whom we honor today, fulfilled this office unto martyrdom. In his person, we see a reflection of the suprema caritas demanded of the shepherd — not fleeing when the wolves come, but remaining faithful, even unto death.
St. Augustine, meditating on this very passage, warns those who seek ecclesiastical office for its honors rather than its burdens:
“Let us not, my brethren, love the episcopal throne, but the work of him who sits thereon. Let us not be like hirelings, but like true shepherds.” (Sermon 46 on the New Testament)
“Thou art Peter…” (Matthew 16:18)
In the Gospel (Matt. 16:13–19), we are brought to the divine constitution of the Church. When Peter confesses Christ to be the Son of the Living God, Our Lord proclaims that upon this rock — petra — He will build His Church. The Fathers were unanimous in reading this both as the faith of Peter and the person of Peter.
St. Leo the Great, the great Pope of orthodoxy, writes:
“The firmness which Christ Himself gave to Peter, He communicated also to the other Apostles; yet not so that He might withdraw from Peter His own peculiar prerogative, but that He might manifest in him the unity of the Church.” (Sermon 4)
St. Cyprian of Carthage, writing in the mid-third century, testifies to the same:
“There is one God, and Christ is one, and there is one Church, and one Chair founded upon Peter by the voice of the Lord.” (De Unitate Ecclesiae, 4)
Thus, the primacy given to Peter is not of worldly power, but of sacrificial leadership rooted in confession of faith. The keys given to Peter bind him to Christ and to the flock: “whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven…” (Matt. 16:19). These are not the keys of domination, but of pastoral vigilance and sacramental authority.
“After you have suffered a little…” (1 Peter 5:10)
St. Peter does not conclude his epistle with triumphalism. Instead, he reminds us that suffering precedes glory. “After you have suffered a little,” he writes, “the God of all grace… shall perfect, confirm, and establish you.” This path of suffering unto glory is not merely the path of the Christian; it is particularly the path of the bishop, of the shepherd.
The martyrdom of Pope St. Martin I—exiled by the heretical Emperor Constans II for defending the orthodox doctrine of the two wills of Christ (against the Monothelites)—is a testament to this very suffering. Though he was imprisoned and ultimately died in exile in 655, Pope Martin remained a faithful witness (martyr) to the truth of the Incarnate Word.
The Breviarium Romanum commemorates his fortitude:
“Martinus, Papa et Martyr, pro defensione fidei orthodoxae ab haereticis captus, carceribus et exsilio afflictus, in poenali insula vitam finivit.”
He gave his life not for an idea or a movement, but for the truth that Christ is true God and true Man, with a divine and human will—two natures united in one Divine Person. In this, St. Martin shared in the sufferings of Christ and in the apostolic calling of Peter.
Conclusion
On this Feria Quarta after the Octave of All Saints, within the Season after Pentecost, the Church calls us back to the example of her shepherds. These readings remind us that the Church is apostolic not only in form but in spirit: she is built upon the confession and martyrdom of Peter and his successors.
Let us therefore pray today, through the intercession of St. Martin, Pope and Martyr, for our shepherds — that they may feed the flock of God with zeal, suffer for the truth, and reflect the heart of the Good Shepherd, “the Prince of the shepherds” (1 Pet. 5:4), who shall give them an unfading crown of glory.
Sancte Martine, Papa et Martyr, ora pro nobis.