Breaking Open the Word
June 29
Introduction
Today is Sunday June 29th. It is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. We see in the Gospel what is, perhaps, the most important question Jesus posed to his disciples – “But who do you say that I am?”. It was asked of Peter before the death and resurrection of Jesus and posed, in a different way, post-resurrection to Peter along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. With the response, “You know that I love you” to the thrice asked question, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”, Peter became the rock upon which Christ built his Church. It was asked of Paul along the road to Damascus with the words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Saints Pater and Paul, over time, came to a full acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, the anointed One of God. Each chose to be His disciple. Each chose to proclaim the Gospel to all the world.
There was a cost, and great graces, when Saints Peter and Paul answered the question, “But who do you say that I am?”, with a firm answer that Jesus was Lord, the Messiah, to each of them. We see both the great cost and the undeniable graces in the First Reading and Second Reading.
In the First Reading, we witness Saint Peter under arrest, imprisoned, shackled by his captors with a double set of chains. There is a cost to his discipleship. However, we then see the gift of grace in the presence of the angel which unbinds Peter, guides him and lights the way to freedom. We know that Saint Peter was martyr for the faith, so there was a cost. Yet, I cannot help but feel, in some ways, that this encounter freed Peter from the lures of this world in order to encounter Jesus in the eternal one.
In the Second Reading, Saint Paul speaks of the cost of being poured out and the awareness that the time of his departure is at hand. Paul, like Peter, will be martyred for the faith but listen to the words of Saint Paul as he speaks of the graces provided to him by our Lord – “I have finished the race…”; “From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me…”; “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength…”
Gospel Explained
There is confusion in the Gospel of Matthew. The people who encounter Christ or have heard of this man Jesus, do not know who He really is. They don’t realize that Jesus is the Son of Man. Some say the Son of Man is “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” It is intriguing, at least to me, that we stand here some 2,000 years later and there is still confusion as to who Jesus of Nazareth is. Some see Jesus as a great prophet – but not the Son of Man. Some see Him as a great philosopher, but not the Son on Man. Some see Jesus as a role model, as someone to emulate, but not the Son of Man. Some see Him as the Christ, but they are ingrained in the demands and pleasures of this worldly life and don’t see the need to embrace the Son of Man. Some see Jesus as the Christ and are willing to proclaim it and live out a Christ-centered life.
Today, Jesus poses the question to each of us - “But who do you say that I am?”
Today's Theme
Today we are invited to ponder the question – Who do we think Jesus is? If we answer question like Saint Peter did – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – then we, like Saints Peter and Paul must decide whether we will become disciples of Jesus. There is a cost to discipleship, then and now. We may not be arrested, imprisoned, shackled or martyred for our faith, but we will be persecuted. That persecution may come from our own family and friends who see our faith in Christ and our practicing of that faith as whimsical. When we support the Church’s position on the issues of our times – abortion, contraception, the sanctity of marriage, and the dignity of the human person, we are called anti-woman’s rights, prude, intolerant or ignorant.
However, we must, like Saint Peter and Saint Paul be convicted in our beliefs; we must not shy away from proclaiming the Truth. Why – because we are provided with the same presence that Peter was in his jail cell. That presence may not be an angel, but is the presence of Christ in the Word and in the Eucharist. The Lord stands by us and strengthens us, like He did with Saint Paul. In our case, it is with the grace of the sacraments, the wisdom of the Church’s teachings and the foundation of our faith community, the Church
Theme in our Life Today
But who do you say that I am?” – That is the question before us today. Who is Jesus to you? Take a moment and really give that some thought. If He is the Christ, the Lord, the Savior, the Messiah, the King to you, then ask yourself if you are living a life that correlates to whom you say Jesus is?
Faith is not always easy. The works that come, in response to that faith, can be even more difficult. There is a pearl in the Gospel worth mentioning. How is Peter able to proclaim – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”? Notice where that comes from – It is revealed to Saint Peter by the heavenly Father. Have you ever asked the Father to reveal Jesus to you in a deeper, more intimate way? Let that not be something lost on us today.
Prepare for Sunday
Who is Jesus to you?
What price are you willing to pay to be a disciple of Jesus in the world today?
What graces are available to you to live your life as a modern-day disciple? How can you grow in your ability to tap into that grace?
Have you ever asked the Father to reveal Jesus to you in a deeper, more intimate way? Will you ask the Father to do that for you today?