Who do you say I am? ~ by Josephine Fernando

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 22:19-23
Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8
Rom 11:33-36
Mt 16:13-20

In today's gospel message, the focus is on St. Peter's affirmation of faith, "You are the Messiah." Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, who left heaven and took the form of a human being to be one with us here on earth.

We are not children of God by chance. We are redeemed by the Blood of Christ. The Mass is the highest form of worship in Roman Catholicism. A representation of the one and only unique sacrifice offered at Calvary, which can equal no other sacrifice of the past, present or in the future to come.

Jesus shed His Blood at Calvary, out of love for the entire human race. Jesus was not an ordinary man. Some said that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. For some, Jesus was John the Baptist and for others, Elijah; and for still others, Jeremiah.

Jesus asks each one of us the same question: Who do you say that I am? It is a personal question that the Lord asks us and we all have our different answers. However, it is good to answer our Lord and to seek Him to the fullest.

Since the birth of Jesus, the course of history has been changed. This all did not happen as a chance event. Yes, indeed, Jesus did build His church on St. Peter, who was our first Pope. Right from St. Peter, we have our popes, the visible Vicar of Christ on Earth.



~ Painting by Pietro Perugino, Sistine Chapel (painting reversed)