Peter's Correct Answer

~~~ Memorial of Saint John Vianney ~~~
~~~ Jeremiah 31:31-34 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-23 ~~~

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

In spite of Peter's tendency to speak without thinking,
this answer was very revealing.

Jesus asked Peter a serious personal question...
"Who do you say the I am?"

Jesus was Peter's friend...his leader...his teacher...
Jesus loved and respected Peter.
Jesus had faith in Peter's leadership abilities.
Jesus was a good teacher and Peter was a good student.

Peter recognized Jesus as Christ...the Anointed One.
Peter recognized him as the Son.
Peter recognized God as living.

Peter saw Jesus as much more than
who he appeared to be to the other apostles.

Peter saw him as the Son of the Living God...
the Living God.

God did not 'die' because he sent Jesus to dwell among us.

God is not dead, Jesus is his living son.
Jesus tells us that he and the Father are one in the same
therefore God is very much a living God.

Jesus trusted Peter enough to give
 him responsibility for the future of his church.

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.

Peter was given the insight
to see Jesus as both divine and human.

This insight came to Peter from the Father.
God the Father was also at work in the heart of Peter.

God is also at work within your heart.

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

It is within the context of a clean heart
 that we can answer the same question
Jesus posed to Peter...

I invite you to sit with your own answer.
Who do YOU say that Jesus is?

Can you be honest with yourself?

Can you live with your answer?
Is Jesus the Son of a Living God to you?

God is Alive!
Jesus came to live among us in a very real way.

Blessings
~~~Peace~~~

The Litmus Test

~~~ Saints Peter and Paul ~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~

~~~ 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-19

“But who do you say that I am?”

I never get tired of this question

 coming in our cycle of daily readings.

It is a question that we can answer every year

 because we are not the same person today 

as we were last year.

This question was first posed to Peter by Jesus.

Peter, walked with Jesus...

witnessed his miracles first hand...

Peter ultimately is the one who denies Jesus.

Peter is frail, yet it is Peter who recognizes

 who Jesus truly was in real time.

Somehow Jesus saw something deep within the soul of Peter...

Jesus saw a goodness and honesty in Peter's character.

Jesus recognizes that the only way Peter

could have known who he was 

had been revealed to him by God the Father.

God prepared Peter to be named the head of the church.

...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. 

Peter answered the question Jesus asked.

Jesus may not be questioning you,

but you too must answer this same question.

If you do not answer the question you will never 

be sure you are convicted in your faith.

Being able to verbalize to yourself 

and to others 

who Jesus is to you

 is the litmus test of being a Christian....

and for me being a Catholic.

Jesus and Paul never actually met face to face.

Paul eventually came to know

 without a doubt who Jesus truly was.

God the Father

touched the heart of Paul and after that

 he never turned back to his former ways.

Conversion is real.

Knowing who Jesus is for you is real.

Make every day the day

 you answer who Jesus is for you.

Confirm it in your heart.

It is real.

~~~Peace~~~

Why Ask the Question?

~~~ Haggai 2:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 43 ~~~ Luke 9:18-22 ~~~

 ...my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!

Once again today's gospel contains the question...
Who do you say that I am?
This question along with your personal answer
must be taken seriously.
Jesus did not ask this question in the rhetorical manner.
Jesus asks this question of all his people.
He expects your answer.

If Jesus were to abandon us now that our salvation has been secured,
there would be no need for you to answer the question.

However, the reality is that Jesus
'continues in our midst'.
His spirit is with you always...
until the end of time.

We are reminded so often to consider our answer to his question,
because we live in an ever changing environment.

Jesus remains the "Christ of God".
He is the anointed one sent down to us by the Father.

The apostles and the people of the day
recognized there was something very different about Jesus.

It was Peter who was able to verbalize the truth
about Jesus.

It is good for your soul to keep your
answer to his question on the surface of your heart
so that your soul has constant access.

You must know your answer...
no matter when you are asked.

It is the ever present spirit of Jesus
 that solidifies your answer.

The essence of Jesus is permanent,
but our relationship with him is often a work in progress.

Hold on to who you believe Jesus is for you...
do not fear when your conviction is challenged.
Write in your journal who Jesus is to you.

When you are feeling unsure or insecure
in your life journey 

return to this page and read your
own words aloud to yourself.

You are not alone...
Jesus will never abandon you.
His spirit is always with you...
always Blessing you.
In your heart you do know who Jesus is.

~~~Peace~~~

God Bless Pope Francis
 as he continues his historic visit
in America.
He is truly showing who Jesus
 is for all of us to witness.

Better Answer

~~~ Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 50:5-9A ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ 

~~~ James 2:14-18 ~~~ Mark 8:27-35 ~~~

“But who do you say that I am?” 

Can you honestly answer this question?

What influences your answer the most? 

Does your answer depend on how your day is going?

There are so many possible topics from today's readings...

faith...good works...and taking up your cross.

All related to who Jesus is to you personally.

To have faith you must believe in something or someone...Jesus.

But faith is not something you should keep hidden away.

Jesus says if you have faith...if you want to follow me...

if you know who I am then

you must pick up your cross and carry it with you.

We must serve others and perform good works 

for our own personal gratification.

Instead we must let our desire to be more like 

Christ to our guiding force.

 ...deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me. 

Who do YOU say Jesus is?

Knowing Christ does not shield you 

from trials, and hardships in your life.

It is precisely those trials and hardships that teach 

you more about who Jesus truly is...

it is through these that you begin to fully 

formulate your answer within your own heart.

Jesus must be real for you right now...today.

Jesus cannot be real for you only in the good times.

To take up your cross and follow Jesus;

sometimes means coming to the bottom of the cross,

wrapping your arms around the feet of Jesus

and simply looking up into his eyes.

It is Jesus alone who can give you the strength to carry cross.

But if you do not know who he is how can you come to him?

Your relationship with Jesus is personal.

but your demonstration of your faith is visible to others.

Every day you take up your crosses and follow Jesus

is another day that you come to better know how

to answer his question...

“But who do you say that I am?” 

You are unbelievably Blessed...

let those define your faith commitment.

Every time you answer his question 

your answer will become more personal.

You are living into a better answer.

Think of those you love the most...

who do you say they are?

~~~Peace~~~

What is Your Answer?

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~

~~~ 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-19 ~~~

“But who do you say that I am?”

Jesus asks Peter this question during 

one of their many conversations.

This is the same question you must answer.

Before you can answer this question 

you must know who you are first.

How you answer may vary depending on where you are in your life.

How you answer may even depend on who is listening.

Peter began his answer by telling Jesus 

what the community was saying.

Jesus pressed Peter into going within his own heart.

Jesus wanted to know what was in the mind and heart of Peter.

If Peter was to head the church after Jesus returned to the Father,

Jesus needed to know exactly who Peter thought Jesus was in his heart.

How can you reach out to others in the name of Jesus

if you do not know who he is in your own life?

For generations those who follow Jesus

 must eventually answer the question.

Unless you are confident in your belief of who Jesus is

you will forever find yourself in situations

that cause conflict in your heart.

Who Jesus is remains constant until the end times.

I invite you to take some time today

to visit your answer to this question.

Is your answer dependent on things going your way?

Is your answer different in good times and in bad times?

Saints Peter and Paul were vigilant about their answer.

They kept their faith in Jesus alive in their hearts.

We are invited to do the same.

Blessings from the One Lord and God.

Blessings from the One who is always with you.

Blessings from the One who loves you into being.

~~~Peace~~~

A "Time" to Answer the Question

~~~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 144 ~~~ Luke 9:18-22

There is a time for everything under the sun.

There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.

These eleven verses from Ecclesiastes put all things into context.
We have no need to be anxious about our everyday life.
There is a time for everything...
a time for happiness, a time for sadness,
an allotted time to do all things...
to experience all things...
Maybe you have a bucket list...maybe you are wondering
 if you have the time to get to each entry.
When I was working I tried to set a specific time for certain tasks.
I would try to be very organized and timely.
Do you think one can be too organized...and over scheduled?
At some point you must prioritize.
What is really important, what can be left for another time
and what can be omitted completely.

In today's Gospel we have the familiar question posed by Jesus...
“But who do you say that I am?”

Having written about this verse many times before on this blog;
I was wondering. Do you think the answer to that
question has anything to do with the time of your life?

In other words, when you are older is your answer different
 than when you were young?

I would have to say yes.
When I was young I am not sure I had a very clear concept
 of who Jesus was other than what my holy cards depicted.
 He was not a real person to me.

He was laying in a bed of straw, he was nailed to a cross,
he was raised from the dead. That was pretty much all I knew.

Now that I am older I can look back and identify times in my life
that began to reveal the person of Jesus to me.

There is an appointed time for everything...

Maybe we are presented with this question
so often in our readings precisely
 so that we can stop.. so that we can take the time
 to survey our current position...
to search our heart and soul for the answer.

If each time we can see a change in our answer then
 we are growing in our relationship with Our Lord. 

If we are not in a close relationship with Jesus
 then we are not even in a position to answer the question.

Maybe you cannot even relate to the question.

There is an appointed time for everything...

Today it is time to spend the time...take an inventory of your heart.
A time to get out of your head and into your heart.
Who do you say Jesus is today, right now?
Blessed to know that tomorrow I can be better.
Blessed to know that today I can be better than I was yesterday.
Look into your heart and find your answer.
~~~ Peace~~~

Without a Doubt

~~~ Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 22:19-23 ~~~ Psalm 138 ~~~ Romans 11:33-36 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 16:13-20 ~~~

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

Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the Son of the living God.

...the living God...God is not dead...he never will be.

Peter knew that Jesus was more than a teacher or healer.

Peter knew Jesus was more than the Messiah.

Peter knew Jesus had an intimate relationship with God the Father.

Peter knew Jesus was anointed set apart not by other men, 

but set apart by the Father.

Peter did not hear this from the locals...he did not read it in a book...

he was not told by the authorities...Peter was blessed 

with a revealed understanding directly from God.

Peter knew who Jesus was without a doubt.

He was confidence in his answer to the question asked by Jesus.

Maybe Jesus was checking to see if he was ready

 to hold the future of the faith in his hands.

Jesus trusted Peter to do a good job.

He did not have time to start over if Peter messed up.

Jesus gives us the opportunity to be his representative on many occasions.

“But who do you say that I am?” 

If we honestly answer this question
then our actions should be a reflection of what is on our heart.

Peter was able to be trusted by Jesus because
he had no doubt Jesus was the Christ.

If you are holding on to the slightest
doubt that Jesus is the Son of the living God
I encourage you to seek the truth from any
reliable source available to you.

Read the Bible and books about Jesus, speak to your pastor or ministers.
Find other believers to socialize with...ask questions...
be still, God will fill in the holes of doubt if you let him.

Jesus is the Son of the living God...
God is not dead...he is alive...he lives in each one of us.
If we let feelings of doubt take root we are letting pollution fill our soul.

I invite you to be firm in your convictions, you do know who Jesus is.
He has proved it to you so many times.
Every morning that you wake up is proof of his existence.
Every breath you take is his loving you.

How do you not know the one
who loves you the most?

For from him and through him and for him are all things. 

To know him is to love him.
We are Blessed with a living God who knows us and loves us.
Do not be shy about your believing in Jesus.
Spread his message of love then you will have no doubt
as to you answer to the question.
~~~Peace~~~

Personal...Private

~~~ Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles ~~~

~~~Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11 ~~Psalm 34~~~ 

~~~ 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-19 ~~~

Wrongfully imprisoned, rescued by an angel of the Lord,
committed to spreading the words of God's mercy and love.

Saints Peter and Paul had much in common,
yet they were two very different men.
Peter was blessed to walk along side of Jesus, to share
the breaking of the bread with him.

Peter loved Jesus tremendously and still crumbled
 into a state of denial. He could not admit even knowing Jesus.

Peter was released from his prison cell
when the angel came along with the bright light.
He even had time to grab his cloak before fleeing.

By contrast, when Paul was in prison and his chains fell to the ground,
he remained. He was to convert the prison guard and his family.

I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.

If it were not for the lives and actions of Peter and Paul
the whole life of the message of Jesus
might not have survived into the future...now today.

These two men were among the most influential people;
 we remember with gratitude today.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.

The Lord did indeed rescue them
from the snares of the evil one, even as they faced death.

He brought them into his kingdom to remain with him forever.
They were good and faithful servants of the Lord.
They ran the good race. They are now able to be advocates for all of us.

They were confident of the answer to Jesus' question,
 “But who do you say that I am?”

They knew who Jesus was with every fiber of their being.
They were willing to endure great trials
 and tribulations for their conviction.

We do not need to be like Peter or Paul to be convicted in our faith.
We must, however, know how to answer
this question posed by Jesus.
We need to know who Jesus is, not only to us
 but for the whole world.

How can we complete the good race if we cannot answer the question?
This question is not rhetorical it does require an answer.
Our answer, not the answer of Peter or Paul
or the answer of our friends and family.

No one can speak on your behalf
in response to who YOU say Jesus is...
this is personal and private.

Saints Peter and Paul we thank you
 for believing in Jesus and his message.

May we be blessed with the courage and strength to continue each day.
May we be able to say at the end of our life...
we did run the good race...
we kept the faith...
we were rescued from every evil threat.
~~~Peace~~~

Can You Answer the Question?

~~~ James 2:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Mark 8:27-33 ~~~

“But who do you say that I am?”
Every year we are given this one small verse of scripture.
Jesus is having a conversation with the disciples as
they are walking along the road.

At first his question is very general and global...
Who do people say that I am?

It is easy for them to answer with what they have heard from others.
As they have traveled around with Jesus and mingled with the people,
they hear what is being said about Jesus.

It is safe for them to repeat this to him because it is not personal.
They are simply reporting to him what they have been told
or what they have heard.

But Jesus presses farther...deeper. He then asks the personal question.

“But who do you say that I am?”

Now they cannot simply parrot back the words of others.
Now they must share their own decision.
Who is Jesus to me?

We must hear that very question many times through out our lives.

Who is Jesus to me?
It is easy to listen to the response of others.

We can read inspiring literature, but we must form our own answer.

Imagine for a moment, Jesus standing before you.
He looks lovingly into your eyes and asks...
________ who am I to you?

Am I your constant companion?
Am I your 'in case of emergency' God?
Am I your disappointing God...
disappointing because I seem not to hear your prayers?

How we answer this personal question should not waiver,
but in truth it may fluctuate like the changing seasons.

Sometimes God may seem far away...distant.
Sometimes it is almost as if his hand is on your shoulder.

It is by the Blessing of Grace
 that we can stay the course and know that God is God.

It is by grace that we can sing
God you are my God...
I will ever praise your name.

Sit with Jesus...allow him to love you...
and you will know in your heart the answer to the question.
“But who do you say that I am?”

Peace.

Take Courage...It's Personal

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul

 

~~~ Haggai 2:1-9 ~~~Psalm 43 ~~~ Luke 9:18-22 ~~~

 

...take courage...

For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts.

And my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!

 

It has been such a long time the Lord asks who is left

who remembers how it was.You know the good ole days.

Only a few remain; the governor, the high priest,

 and a remnant of people.

 

Not many were still alive who could remember the temple

when it was initially completed, only a remnant.

Remnant is an interesting word.

You usually hear this word used when referring to the last

bit left on a bolt of fabric.

Here it is used to describe the remaining small number of people left.

God tells them to take courage because he has never left them.

It does not matter to God how many people

were familiar with the temple.

He is about to make something even greater and more glorious.

Even in a remnant piece of fabric the pattern and the colors are visible.

 

...in this place I will give you peace,
says the LORD of hosts!

God will place a special peace in his house.

This peace is available to all who come into the temple.

This is true today...the spirit of God's peace remains in our churches.

 

I believe that each time we offer the Eucharistic celebration in the church

the remnant of God's peace lingers ever so slightly.

I try to be aware of this subtle, but yet real, presence

 of God's peace when I come into our church. 

 

 

We hear this gospel more than once throughout the liturgical cycle,

I think because we are being asked to look

 at our personal relationship with Jesus.

First Jesus asks about the people at large, the greater community. 

 

“Who do the crowds say that I am?”

 

We cannot be complacent with our faith just because

we belong to a 'crowd'.

The group consensus cannot replace our personal responsibility.

We cannot hide within our community of faith.

You cannot just give the rehearsed answer...

 

“But who do you say that I am?”

 

The only way to answer this question...the only way

you can answer this question

is if you have made a personal commitment.

You cannot say who someone is if you do not know them.

You must have some contact with someone

before you can say who they are.

The answer to this question must come from the heart.

A heart which has had a personal encounter with the Lord.

 

The crowds did not have the right answer...they were just guessing.

We can only know who God if we first believe he exists.

 

Blessings in how you speak about who Jesus is to you.

It's Personal!

Saved by the Light

 

The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

 

~~Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11 ~~Psalm 34~~2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18~~Matthew 16:13-19~~

'...prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.'

 

Peter and Paul both saw the light...one was freed from physical chains

the other was physically blinded by the light.

 

Peter was imprisoned, shackled and guarded by soldiers on each side. 

There were additional guards outside.

 

There is no way Peter was going to escape from this prison.

Only by the grace of God and his angels is Peter released from his chains.

 

Even though the presence of the angels filled the cell

with light Peter did not wake up.

How many times have I 'slept' through a situation 

that was filling the space with light?

God's light streams into my soul and yet I still can miss it.

 

Prayer has power...

keep prayer on your lips and in your heart. 

 

Why is it that I am not able to identify the source of the light?

 

The angel of the Lord actually tapped Peter on the shoulder an told him to get up.

How I long for the angel of the Lord to come and tap me on the shoulder

with a direct message from God.

 

 

 

The gates opened so Peter could safely escape to safety.

Paul's eyes were opened so that he could see his new calling in life.

 

Both Peter and Paul give us beautiful and strong examples

of how much they loved the Lord.

 

Paul changes from persecuting Christians to being 

 a fervent proclaimer of the way of the Lord.  

Peter openly confesses his love for Jesus;

with all of his human short comings.

 

These two saints made the ultimate sacrifice

for their love of Jesus.

 

'...who do you say that I am?'

 

They answered the question with the pouring out of their blood.

They both finished the race and kept the faith.

They kept the faith for us.

 

Ultimately we each must answer the same question.

At the end of my life

 I want to be able to look into the eyes of Our Lord

 and hear the words,

'...my beloved daughter, you have

finished the race...you have kept the faith well.'

 

Blessings come in light from God.

Do You Know the Answer?

~~~ Jeremiah 31:31-34 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-23 ~~~

Jeremiah leads us right into the psalm 51...

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

God revealed to Jeremiah that there would be a new covenant his people.

 "I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

God himself would create this new, clean heart.

A heart that desires to be steadfast...

A heart that desires to be in the presence of God...

A heart that desires to be united with the Holy Spirit...

A heart that desires saving joy...

A heart that desires to always have a willing spirit...

A heart that desires to be contrite and humbled.

God and the psalmist are very ambitious with their desires.

There is no excuse for not knowing God;

he put the desire to know him into your heart himself.

One day as Jesus is talking with the disciples he poses

an important question.

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

It is easy to give answers for another person.

You are not required to have insight into what

their answer would actually be.

You just answer by what you have heard them say.

Jesus is not content

to let that be the end of the conversation;

he goes deeper.

Have you noticed how God can do that, get you to go deeper?

He is interested in your answers because he wants

you to have a relationship with him.

If you cannot answer his next question perhaps you might

examine your heart more closely.

"But who do you say that I am?"

I know you have heard this verse many times before,

but today picture Jesus standing before you.

He looks into your eyes as he asks

 'who do YOU say that I am?'

He wants to know what is in your heart.

Is his new covenant of the heart really residing within your heart?

This is a personal question...only you know the answer.

No one is going to make you proclaim your answer before others.

This personal question is a wonderful clue to how much

God desires your heart.

You do not ask questions such as this of those you do not care about.

If God did not love you he would not care who you thought he was.

God does not need us to validate who he is for his sake.

God wants you to validate who he is for you--- for your own sake.

To know who God is for you is to better love him.

To know who God is for you means to love him more.

This all relates back to the clean, contrite, and humble heart we desire;

a desire placed there by the very same God who asks the question. 

"But who do you say that I am?"

Once you can truthfully answer that question

you will ultimately have the heart you desire.

You will know without a doubt that God is for you.

You will know that you are His.

Can You Answer the Question?

~~~ Acts 12: 1-11 ~~~  Psalm 34 ~~~ Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 ~~~ Matthew 26: 13-19 ~~~ 

 

Paul is confiding in his friend Timothy about the hard times he has endured. He says, 'I have kept the faith' and because of my faith I will be rewarded by God.

"...The Lord stood by me and gave me strength..."

Paul is giving any credit for his accomplishments to the Lord. It was the Lord and not Paul himself who should be applauded and praised.

Paul seems to be comfortable with the knowledge of who God is. He never hesitates to humbly reference God.

To compliment this excerpt from the letter to Timothy we have Mattew's account of Jesus asking a question...

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

At first the question is fairly vague...who do people say...

Jesus quickly makes it a much more personal question...

"But who do you say that I am?"

Now the disciples must commit to an answer. They can no longer just give him answers based on hear say. Now they must decide for themselves. Who is this person named Jesus? Of course we are not surprised when Peter shouts out his answer.

That is just the way Peter is...he often acts before thinking.

But this time Jesus is do pleased with his answer he gave him a new name...

"...you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church..."

We do not need a new name to answer the very same question today.

Original photo: the word believe in gold script.

Who do you say Jesus is?

Who is he for you?

Is he as personal as he was to Peter?

Did you have to hesitate when you read that question?

Are you confident in your answer?