21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
Today’s gospel reading tells us of the promise of Jesus to Peter, that he will be the rock upon which He will build His Church and that the primacy of the whole Church will be upon him. This clearly emphasizes the authority of the Pope and why we should respect and love the Pope as the successor of Saint Peter. This also states the fact that, where Saint Peter (the first pope) is, there the Church is and there God is. But I want us to concentrate on what I find most intriguing and interesting in today’s gospel reading, which is, the question of Jesus to His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
I find this question very intriguing and interesting because it pertains to us here and now in our world today. This is a question for us all to answer, as disciples of Christ. Who does the world say Jesus is today? There exists many answers to this question. Some people say He is the Son of God. Others say He is just a prophet. For others, He is just a fictional figure. What other explanations or descriptions have you heard about Jesus? But for you, who do you say that Jesus is? Who is He to you? What is He to you? Jesus’s question to His disciples today urges us to learn more about who Jesus is, what He signifies for us, what our call to discipleship entails and how to live it out in our world today.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in order to know who Jesus is, we have to deepen our relationship with Him. How? By praying constantly, reading of the Scriptures daily and spiritual direction. If we want to know His importance and significance in our lives, we have to participate more actively in the Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation. Then, for us to truly answer the call to discipleship in our world today, we have to accept and live out the gospel of Christ.
