Who Do You Say That I Am?

September 28, 2018

Today’s gospel captures a special piece of my heart. It begins with, “Once, when Jesus was praying in solitude…” This is how I begin each day and it just warmed my heart that Jesus, who is God, also prays in solitude, in fact He meets me here for coffee everyday. It gives me a glimpse into His heart that reminds me that He is the lover of my soul and He wants to spend time with me in prayer. It also says his best friends were with Him. We all have an intimate group of friends or perhaps family that we let into our circle of trust. This detail in the story also warms my heart because it shows Jesus’ love for his friends. So as I was reading it occurred t me that perhaps Jesus was asking His disciples the question, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” more from His human side. I know that in my prayer time, I am often pensive about who I am and what others think of me. Prayer time engages our hearts to ponder the spirit and that often leads us to self-examination. I wonder if Jesus was in this same kind of space when he asked the question. I always used to picture it like a teaching session, but it seems like He was truly pondering this in prayer. I just love that thought. 

Anyway, maybe the answer given about what others thought of Him, John the Baptist, Elijah, etc., served as a benchmark for where He still needed to go in His ministry. Like shouldn’t the crowds already know that I’m the Christ? I guess I still have work to do. This is a very human thing to do isn’t it? I’m constantly checking my progress on things that I’ve poured my heart and soul into. Shouldn’t I be a better singer by now? Shouldn’t I have learned how to say no by now? Shouldn’t 100’s of people be reading my blog? Shouldn’t I be published already? I guess I still have work to do. 

Today I can imagine Jesus asking His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” still in that quiet intimate place of prayer. Was He a bit weary that the crowds had not gotten it yet and needed some affirmation that if at least His best friends got it then He could continue on with His mission. Doesn’t this thought give this gospel such a different feeling? I love the thought of Jesus truly wondering if He was reaching anyone because I wonder that every single time I publish this blog. It comes from a place of longing and wanting to share the message of love with everyone and the reality is that it is only shared with a few. I get where He’s coming from. So when Peter answers with all his Peter gusto, “The Christ of God” perhaps it was a bit too enthusiastic and broke into the intimacy of this quiet prayer space that they were in. Have you ever known someone that changes the energy of the room with one sentence? Because this was their private time together (like grouping in Cursillo: what happens in grouping stays in grouping), Jesus asked them not share it yet as it was still His mission to do so at the right time. Their mission would come at Pentecost. 

Then from this place of prayer, Jesus tells them what is going to happen to Him. I imagine it was shared from His heart and perhaps He was scared, or anxious, or deeply focused. I wonder if there were any tears or wringing of His hands. I know that when I am faced with impending challenges I shed lots of tears. Today’s gospel shows me a piece of Jesus’ heart that I find to be so tender. He wants intimacy with us in prayer so that He can ask us, “Who do you say that I am?” This is the only question that matters really. My prayer time should be focused on my answer to this question. Obviously, He is the Christ of God, but what does that mean in my life? I encourage each one of us to spend prayer time in solitude to ponder this. He will meet you there and you can work it out together. It is well with my soul.

Reading 1 ECCL 3:1-11

There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man's ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

Responsorial Psalm PS 144:1B AND 2ABC, 3-4

R. (1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
my mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Alleluia MK 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:18-22

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."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed and on the third day be raised."