“but who do you say that I am”
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Search: “Person or Profession?” and “Who is Jesus?”
For some people, speaking in groups can be difficult. Either we’re too shy, too scared, too timid, or not interested in what is being discussed. We’ve probably heard someone say, “Uh, yeah what he/she said.” trying to avoid speaking up and voicing their own personal thoughts or feelings on the subject. In this Sunday’s Gospel we see Jesus asking the question, “Who do you say that I am?”
How do the Apostles respond to Jesus’ question? They first give accounts of what others think of Jesus. “Some say you’re Elijah, some say you’re a prophet.”
Why does Jesus then ask a second time “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus was not asking what others thought, but what specifically the Apostles thought of Him. They had been following Jesus for some time now, and had seen all that Jesus had done. Jesus was asking them to test them and to test their faith in Him. It was Peter at this moment that had the courage to speak up and profess that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God.
Why should we speak about who Jesus Christ is? Saint John Paul II wrote, “We all know this moment in which it is no longer sufficient to speak about Jesus by repeating what others have said. You must say what you think, and not quote an opinion. You must bear witness, feel committed by the witness you have borne and carry this commitment to its extreme consequences. The best friends, followers and apostles of Christ have always been those who heard within them one day the definitive, secondary and derivative: ‘For you who am I?’” [1] We can study and learn everything about Christ, but until we can answer as Peter answered, we are not living fully in our Christian faith. In the Rite of Baptism during the Ephphetha (Prayer over Ears and Mouth), the priest or deacon says, “The Lord Jesus came into the world to proclaim the Good News. [Child's Name], may [she/ he] soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.” [2] If we do not speak up, if we do not proclaim the faith for the praise and glory of God the Father, we are not living out our baptismal vows. At some point in our life, we have to make the decision to live out our baptismal vows, to take them seriously. This is why the Church continually gives us opportunities to renew or baptismal vows within the liturgy. Many Christians who were baptized at a young age have a moment in their life where they had a deeper conversion and took the faith seriously for the first time. It is this moment where the faith is embraced and the words of Saint Peter are echoed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” If this deeper conversion does not happen prior to Confirmation, many times Confirmation is the moment of embracing the faith. If the deeper conversion does not happen at Confirmation, God in His mercy does not give up but rather continues to call us into an intimate relationship with Him. Has the “deeper conversion” taken place in your life? If it has, when and why? If we feel that it has not taken place, what would have to happen to take Christ and the Church seriously?
Why was Peter the only one to speak up?Peter spoke up because the question finds a special resonance in the heart of Peter, who was moved by a special grace. Jesus calls Peter ‘blessed’ for his truth-filled reply in which he confesses in the divinity of Christ. [3]
Jesus is trying to help His Apostles and everyone around him see exactly who He was, is, and ever shall be. One of the many great things about Jesus is that He does not change. Jesus was, is and will be the same. Many times in relationships people think we are something that we are not and we might say, “Who did you think I was?”. Many times we act different at first and are not truly being who we are, we might even be bearing false witness. Jesus can only be who He is and so He doesn’t say, “Who do you think I was?” but rather because He is what he was, He says, “Who do you same I am?”
We all must have the wisdom and courage like Peter did to give witness to Christ. We must be able to freely speak for ourselves to give testimony of our Catholic faith; That Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. That He formed one Church on this planet and the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it.
Discuss a time when you agreed with something, but didn’t say anything until someone else spoke up. Why did you not speak up? How can we be the one to speak up first next time?
[1] St. John Paul II, Homily at Belo Horizonte, 1 July 1980
[2] Rite of Baptism
[3] In Conversation with God 4, 73.1