When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God who died to bring me eternal life. How can I thank you enough for such a gift! I promise to you that I will always strive to know you better, so that by a greater trust in your power and love, I will surrender my heart totally to you. In this meditation, I want to draw closer to you and receive from you the grace to fortify my decision to follow you always.

Petition: Teach me, O Lord, to know your heart profoundly and let this love shape my life and decisions.

1. "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The rumors about Jesus had been circulating far and wide by the time Jesus asked his disciples this question. Word on the street varied about Jesus. Some argued that he was a great prophet raised again. Perhaps even the recently martyred John the Baptist had come again. There were criticisms of Jesus too. By the power of the prince of demons does he cast out unclean spirits, some said. How can a man of God violate the sanctity of the Sabbath by doing work, such as his miracles? Who would dare to equate himself with Yahweh? The rumors bounced back and forth about Jesus, some good, some bad but all of them, regardless of the true intent, were sorely mistaken.

Why could no one grasp the identity of Christ? Even the disciples that followed Jesus were divided on who he was. Why the confusion? We cannot discover who Jesus is on our own, by the lights of our unaided human mind and intelligence. We need Jesus himself, or his Father, or his Holy Spirit to tell us who he is. Truly knowing who Jesus is, is a gift from God.  We must ask God for that gift. Without it, we may think we know him but in reality, all we have is a hollow shell of historical facts about a person who lived and died 2,000 years ago.

And we have to mine that gift in prayer. Spending time with Jesus is how we get to know him more deeply and more personally. Once we know and accept that he is the Son of God, there is much more to explore in him, and he becomes more and more fascinating. We begin to discover the heart of Jesus in all its amazing mercy and love, his humanity in all its richness. The more we know Christ, the more we trust him and the more we love him. 

2. "But who do you say that I am?" It is easy to speak of rumors. After the easy question, Jesus looks his disciples in the eye and asks the one that really matters. Suddenly they are on the spot.  Maybe they had been so busy talking about what others thought, they had never questioned themselves. Jesus certainly was no ordinary man, he had captured their hearts and souls, they were following him but, who was he really?

Peter speaks up. He states the hushed hope about Jesus, You are the Messiah, and he adds, the Son of the living God. What a huge step! Later, when Jesus was being judged, the claim to be the Son of God would be counted as blasphemy, yet those are the very words of Peter. We can imagine the others staring wide-eyed at him, and just as quickly locking onto Jesus to see how he will respond. Jesus answer is deliberate, clear: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. Instead of correcting Peter, Jesus confirms him.

Here Jesus emphasizes the secret to understanding him. It is based on grace: Gods unmerited gift of divine life and assistance. If we want to know Jesus truly, then we must ask God for this grace. It wont come as a fruit of our reflection and study. The Holy Spirit assists us in this endeavor, leading us to grasp insights that we could never acquire on our own. Relying on grace, we can know Jesus in his vast wonder and then aspire to imitate his greatness.

3. Upon this rock I will build my church. As if what he said were not enough to amaze the disciples, Jesus goes even further saying, And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

There was much here that they did not immediately understand, but later developments opened up the hidden meanings to them. History has deepened our own understanding of Jesus words. Peter, with all his strengths and well-known weaknesses, has been given a call to authority in Christs Church: to be the rock upon which it will be built. Peter, an average fisherman with an above average temper, will be the leader of these disciples. We must let the reality of Christs choice sink in. Everyone knew Peter was not the perfect fit for the job but nonetheless, Jesus had chosen. Christ decided to work through the frail vessel of Peter.

In a similar way, Jesus would work through all his disciples, including us. Christ calls us to a mission, to be a rock upon which he will build a portion of his kingdom. That rock will be as firm and consistent as our love for Christ, in proportion to the degree to which we are open to his spirit. We are never qualified for such a call, that is for sure, but our poverty does not lessen the power of Christs grace, as long as we do not place obstacles to it. Jesus calls who he wills, when he wills and how he wills. Christs choice is a mark of his boundless love and mercy, calling us to share in what matters most to him: the salvation of souls.

Conversation: Lord, I thank you for calling me to follow you and to be a herald of your love to those among whom I live. Enable me to ever grow in my knowledge and love for you. Enable me to be your instrument to carry your message always, wherever I go. Strengthen my weakness so that my faith and love will be a rock from which others will draw confidence and hope. 

Questionnaire:

1. Who do I say Jesus Christ is? How would I rate my knowledge of Christ, is it personal or abstract, personal or distant, does it move me to act or leave me indifferent?

2. What can I do to deepen my knowledge of Christ? What will draw me closer to the Sacred Heart of Christ?

3. Does being around me help my friends to be better Christians?