Jesus said to his Apostles, “But who do you say that I am” (Mt 16:15)?
Have we answered the same question that Jesus posed to his apostles for ourselves? Too often we move from this to that, one situation to another, putting out fires and moving from one crisis to another, distracted and diverted, or we are just seeking to make it through another day. Have you ever felt like you are walking in a fog, you began the day with a list and then half the day has gone by and you wondered what happened to the time?
To be a Christian is not a call to stop living our lives, but it is an invitation to live our lives in, with, and for Jesus. We have been described as a People of the Book, along with Jews and Muslims. This is true, yet, more so for us as Christians, we are a people of encounter; we encounter the Living Word, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ.
Peter and Paul encountered Jesus in their lives and were changed forever. We can encounter the same Jesus when we slow down enough to pray and meditate with the Word proclaimed in the Liturgy of the Mass or read in personal prayer. We will find our lives drifting less if we have something, someone we are anchored to.
As a very simple example: except for the first Office of the day, in praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the opening prayer is, “God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me.” To embrace the depth of these words and resist the temptation to mindlessly state them, to not take in the request that I am asking, will help us to begin the day with more intention. Also, how many times do we make the Sign of the Cross without being attentive to the profound act we have just engaged ourselves in?
Through invoking a prayer of asking for God’s assistance and making the sacramental gesture of the Sign of the Cross, we are acknowledging that the Creator of all that exists is a part of our lives. While at the same time, as St. Augustine taught, closer to us than we are to ourselves. We may lean on both prayers when tempted, stressed, or anxious. Each one is an affirmation of a commitment to resist giving in to a mindset of minimalism and self-centeredness. All things are possible when we intentionally choose to align ourselves with Jesus, participate in the communion of the Holy Trinity, and welcome the invitation to love others as God loves us.
Peter and Paul both answered the question that Jesus posed. Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16), and Paul “proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20)! They were willing to give their lives intentionally and totally to Jesus and his mission. They allowed themselves to be steadily conformed to the life of Jesus, holding nothing back even in their willingness to be martyred in Rome.
I invite you to read today’s Gospel account from Matthew a few times. Imagine being present in the scene, and then as Jesus approaches and asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Take a moment to think, pray, and then answer. How we answer this question makes a difference. The next question to entertain is, are we willing to follow Jesus with each thought, word, and deed each moment of the day?
Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!
Icon of St. Peter and St. Paul recently given to me by one of my OCIA students.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 