In today’s Gospel, Mt. 16: 13-20, Jesus asks the disciples: “Who
do people say the Son of Man is? And
they give Him a variety of answers. Then Jesus says to them: “Who do you
say I am?” Whenever we reflect upon the Scriptures, it is important that we
hear Jesus speaking directly to us. What
is Jesus saying to us? What is Jesus teaching us? How is Jesus challenging our
way of living, being, acting, and interacting with others?
Who is Jesus for me? My very life today depends upon Jesus,
the Son of the Living God, the one who created me, brought me into existence,
sustains me here on earth, guides me to His purposes, to the fullness of life
that He promises and enables me to bring to others. It is Jesus who feeds me each day
with the Bread of Life, quenches my thirst each day with Living Waters. It is
Jesus, this day, who keeps me from the Evil One, who sends me His Spirit each
moment to guide me to Truth. It is Jesus, who, each day in the liturgy of the
day, says to me: “Take and eat. This is my Body given up for you. Take and
drink. This is my Blood poured out for
you,” as He includes me in the Supper of the Lord, in the heavenly banquet,
when He does that which is only possible for the Son of God: change
bread and wine into His Body and Blood, making us one with Him, reconciling us,
transforming us, nourishing us for the journey through this “vale of tears.” It
is Jesus, who, throughout the day as we encounter Jesus’ passion and death
being lived out in humanity, asks us to show the world who He is in by showing mercy, love and compassion to those in need.
He asks us to show the world who Jesus is by standing in solidarity with those
who suffer. He asks us to follows His Mother’s example, by offering support to those who are being crucified by
the forces of the world that know not God. Will we step up to this challenge as
Christians today or will we deny Jesus by denying others and/or ourselves a
taste of God’s love, God’s compassion, God’s mercy, God’s patience, God’s
wisdom?
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