Sacred Scripture
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 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. (Matthew 16:13-19)
Reflection
It is easy for the Apostles to answer for others when Christ asks “Who do people say that the son of man is?” They give their responses freely and willingly with great zeal and eagerness to please the Lord. However, Christ’s next question: “Who do you say that I am?” seems to silence the group. Instead, they turn to Peter, their leader, for a response.
Peter responds: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter comes into himself by acknowledging the role that God played in his life.
Eventually, all of us must answer this question for ourselves. Who is Jesus for us? We can stay surface level or we can venture deeper, as Peter did when He allowed the answer to come from within. Peter had a lot of courage answering the way he did. Peter’s answer was personal and that is exactly how we need to answer this question. Only the Holy Spirit, who fills us with Grace and Divine knowledge, can reveal to the depths of our beings who Jesus is for each of us.
How do you respond to such a personalized question? Because God works in our lives in very personal ways, we must answer this question very personally and intimately with him.
How long have you been in your relationship with God, and do you really know him on a personal level? Do you know how he works specifically with you in your life? How does he communicate with you?
What does God’s voice sound like in your life?
We are able to recognize the speech patterns and inflections of the voices of our loved ones. We are able to hear their voice and know who they are without seeing their face. Can we do this with God?
If you truly want to complete the introspection, then there is one other question that deserves answering: What do those closest to us think about us? Do they consider us true followers of Christ? Do they see us as persons of integrity, worthy of emulation? Only when those closest to us know us as persons of integrity can we begin to hope that they will in fact be willing to acquire the values that we strive to teach them and that they will allow us to lead them further along the road.
What is far more important however than what our family and friends think is what God thinks. The final question that we must ask ourselves then is what God says about us. Can God really look at us and say this is my child in whom I am well pleased?
Prayer of The Day
All powerful and ever-loving God, we thank you for letting us know that You are our Father and that Jesus your Son is our Redeemer. Help us to so live that we will be known as your children. Help us in our words and actions to reveal your compassionate and loving face to the world, so that in all countries and in all cultures. You may be known and accepted by all Our Father.
Daily Note
May we come to know Jesus, in whatever special way He has planned for us, and discover each day the answer to that big question, “But, who do you say I am?”
