Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
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.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for Paddy O’ Donaghue RIP.
Reflection:
After asking His disciples who people say Jesus is, the Lord asked them who do they say He is. Two different questions with two different answers. While the first question can be answered by what others think of Christ, regardless if it came from reliable sources or not, the second question can only be answered at a personal level. Peter’s answer – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – did not come from hearsay or fake news. In fact, Jesus acknowledged His heavenly Father as the source of such revelation. For Peter to make a bold answer requires a personal encounter with Jesus. Peter prayed, ate, walked, lived, and worked with the Lord. He witnessed how Jesus interacted with people especially the nobodies of society. He heard the Lord preach the Good News and belonged to Christ’s inner circle to whom was revealed some divine mysteries such as the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:1-13). By being one with Jesus, Peter was able to open his heart to the Father’s revelation that this man Jesus was not just any ordinary prophet or physician. This man Jesus is the promised Messiah, God’s beloved Son. Jesus established His Church on the faith of this ordinary fisherman. Peter lived his life with the conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. His faith lives on in the Church down the ages through the popes.
Like Peter, we are also called to a personal relationship with God. That is the essence of God becoming man! He wants to share His life with us. By having a personal relationship with Christ, we would also discover who He is in our life. How we live our faith tells us how deep our relationship is with Jesus.
• Who and how important is Jesus in your life?
• How can you make your relationship with Jesus more personal?
• How does your relationship with the Lord strengthen your family and the community?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Guide and protect Pope Francis, the successor of St Peter, as he looks after Your flock. Through prayer and works of mercy, may the Father reveal to us who You really are in our life. Amen.
Fraternally,
Pietro
