Welcoming the Holy
Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Kathy Weider
Opening Prayer
Loving God, open our hearts to understand Your scripture, Your words to us. Through the power of Your grace may we grow ever more faithful in following Your ways. Amen.
Gospel
Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is? 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 Christ, 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 Christ.
Reflection
“Who Do You Say I Am?”
Some of us were talking the other night about the nicknames we have. My given name is Kathleen and as a child I was called Kathy at home and at school. But then my one brother married a woman named Kathryn who also was called Kathy. Our first and last names were the same. My sisters started calling me Kay, and my brother called me Kathleen, while my parents always used Kathy. The real confusion was for my very young nieces and nephews because now there were two of us named Aunt Kathy. They distinguished us by calling her by her maiden name (which she didn’t like after she was married) – and for clarity the kids called me “Kathy the Nun.” Now this wasn’t bad around the house, but my parents lived on a lake, and I wore casual summer attire – including when I let the kids ride to the store with me when we needed something for a meal. You can imagine the stares I got as other shoppers heard these bright little voices calling, “Kathy the Nun, look at this!” So, I offered to be called Katrina the Beautiful, the nickname of a classmate named Kathy. Well, “the Beautiful” was immediately dropped, but 50+ years later I am still Aunt Katrina, Aunt Kathy, Kay, and Kathleen. I have to be careful in oral and written communication to think to whom I am speaking, and which name they call me.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks, “Whom do people say that I am?” It is a profound question, much more than clarifying a nickname. They respond, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” This is very significant confusion! Jesus persists, “But who do YOU say that I am?” Simon Peter speaks up in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Answering that question correctly was critically important! Jesus tells Peter that only his heavenly Father could have revealed this to him. Jesus then announces, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…” Jesus gives Peter and the other disciples instructions on how to carry on his mission of preaching and healing all people. If we are going to follow someone, to be their disciples, we need to be absolutely clear about who this person is and what they stand for and teach.
Jesus asks each one of us, “Who do YOU say that I am?” Think of who you said God was when you were a child. As you matured, so did your understanding of Jesus’ mission. Did you address God differently? Hopefully the preaching and teaching about Jesus, and your personal prayer, deepened your relationship with God, with Jesus. We may have taken on other ways of talking to, or about, God – gracious Creator, God of unconditional love, compassionate and tender Lord, and so many others as our age and experiences change.
It would be good to take a little time this week to think about about how we refer to God, or what name we use when we communicate praise, gratitude, and cries for help to God. There is no one “right” name. There can be as many names as there are people. The really important point is that we keep growing closer to God, more intimate with God – and that we know who Jesus is, the Christ, son of the living God!
Closing Prayer
God, source of all wisdom and love, deepen our faith and strengthen our trust that You will be with us, now and forever. Amen.
