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.

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, even more so, 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.

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.” I continue to embrace the depth of these words and resist the temptation to mindlessly state them and not really take in what I am saying. 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 totally to Jesus and his mission. They allowed themselves to be steadily be 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?

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

Painting of Saints Peter and Paul by El Greco, 16th Century

Link for the Mass of the Day readings for Sunday, June 28, 2025