Who Do YOU Say That I Am?

August 9, 2007

Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel contended against the LORD, and where the LORD revealed his sanctity among them. Numbers 11:12

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matthew 16:13

Piety

Jesus, if we are worthy, reveal your self to us. Help us know you through the people we meet throughout this day. Help us to overcome our weaknesses and sins so that we don’t get in your way but instead aid you in building the Kingdom of God on earth everywhere from the deserts of Kadesh to the apartments of Kalorama. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit help us to have a deep, abiding faith in you – a faith so strong that we never doubt or put anyone before You. Please do not charge us with the sins that we have so foolishly committed but instead grant to us the true mercy you have shown to your people throughout time. Like them, we are sinners who seek only Your divine presence in our lives. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/080907.shtml

Whether Moses, Aaron, or Peter, again and again we are reminded about how the pillars of our Church shook when confronted with issues of true, deep faith.

Despite the water flowing from a rock, the sin of Moses and Aaron consisted in doubting God's mercy toward the ever-rebellious people. Despite walking on water with Jesus, the sin of Peter was also doubt -- being too humanly supportive and not wanting His Teacher to suffer. In short, they were all human and therefore no more immune to the occasion of sin and the obstacles to God’s grace than you and I.

Jesus transcended his earthly role. Can we?

Moses doubted the Lord. In return, Jesus did not allow Moses to lead the people the rest of the way to the Promised Land. Peter denied the Lord. In return, rebuked Peter with the following lines, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.”

Action

Jesus subjects his disciples to yet more questioning. Jesus wants to probe your relationship with Him as well.

Imagine you are having this dialog with Jesus today, not Peter. Jesus starts out very general. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Then he gets very direct and personal.

Jesus wants to ask you, “Who do you say that I am, Jack?”

Jesus wants to ask you, “Who do you say that I am, Joan?

Jesus wants to ask you, “Who do you say that I am, Mark?

Jesus wants to ask you, “Who do you say that I am, Miriam?

Yet through it all, Peter answers the question for us.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

How would you answer?

What kind of obstacle are you to Jesus fulfilling his mission?

Where is Jesus inviting you today on this the 62nd anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki?