Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” In today’s Gospel reading, the words the disciples use to describe who people think Jesus is are nearly identical to those that Herod had been hearing: “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” This is to say that only Mary, Joseph, and a few close followers knew who Jesus was, as Peter said: “The Christ of God.”
Every day, Lord, I face the battle of the seen versus the unseen; that is, I know you are alive and present, but I give precedence to things seen and sensed. While Peter and others saw you face to face in his present reality, that seeming advantage is surpassed by your presence in the sacraments, in your real presence in the Eucharist. Thank you, God, for these gifts that Jesus instituted by his life. At various times, I have wondered about my faith in you, Jesus, and doubted my beliefs. I want to see you with the certainty of sight that the eyes of faith give. Help me see you and know who you are.
Jesus, thank you for asking the disciples the same question you ask me: “Who do the crowds say that I am?” It causes me to question in what or in whom I place my identity. As the Psalms say, what am I that you take notice of me? “Man is like a breath; his days, like a passing shadow.” Yet, Lord, you have put the timeless into our hearts. As Padre Pio says, “Admire the heavenly regions which can be reached by no other road than that of suffering. This is our true home.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
