While they were at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples: Who do people say the Son of Man is? Wherever Jesus goes, His fame precedes Him, but away from the prying eyes of Jewish leadership, He wants to know what people thought about Him. Are they open to His message and mission? The people of this region are pagans, raw, and probably less biased to His message.

From their response, Jesus proceeds to know from His own disciples: But who do you say I am? Based on their initial answer, we see no real consensus, with most seeing Him as one of the prophets and even as John the Baptist. Being with Jesus for some time, He asked the disciples their thoughts about Him. He wants to know what people say about Him, but equally important the depth of their perception and understanding of His identity and mission.

We hear how the people are lost in the true identity of Jesus. People see Him as one of the prophets or a miracle worker and want to witness it. He is many things to people: a sign of contradiction, a mystery, and others see Him as a threat, an instigator. Jesus invites us to go beyond public perception that is misleading and divisive. Whom do people say that I am? Who is Jesus for me? The answer to this question is our personal knowledge of; and commitment to Him.

You are the Messiah, the son of the Living God The confession of Peter covers not only Jesus’ mission (Messiah) but also His inner life, the Son of God. Peter acknowledges Jesus’ mission and identity, the fullness of who Jesus is. Every Christian affirms this belief and our personal experience alone does not allow us to profess this faith; we need the grace of God’s revelation. Much like the experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Lk. 24: 1335. Jesus recognized the Father’s hand in Peter’s words. Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because no flesh and blood has revealed this to you. The catechism affirms what Peter said; he is not using any metaphor. He is able to make the profession of faith that Jesus is the Son of God because the Father revealed it to him; it is a gift from God.

A person who professes faith in Jesus and does His Holy Will inherits the Kingdom of God. Similarly, St. James speaks about this in his letter: So, also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead (Jam. 2:17).While it is true that we must all work for our salvation with the joy and confidence of a loving God, we must also be aware that we work for our salvation in fear and trembling, knowing we are sinners. We are a church of sinners and saints; whatever way we see ourselves, the Lord invites us to journey the road of humility. Pride is the mother of all sins. The devil employs this plot to deceive us into thinking we are in control. In the end, it is through humility, hard work, perseverance, and faith in God, we accomplish our mission.

Peter professed Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, the Savior of the World. Do we wholeheartedly believe this in our life, also? Let us examine our lives and see if there are other messiahs we adore. Let nothing and no one distract us from focusing on God. Let nothing or no one become our god. The earlier we know the mission, purpose, and meaning of our lives, the better. We all have a mission; let nothing or no one disturb us in our mission. We are all on a journey; may this lead to God’s heart. Let us go beyond our comfort zones, duc en altum Go into the deep, and not be afraid to experience inner solitude.

The Lord entrusted the church to Peter, giving him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Peter, by no means was perfect. One moment, Jesus praises his confession. The next moment, Jesus rebukes him: Get behind me, Satan. Jesus compares Peter to a rock, but by no means a solid rock. He was weak, unsteady, and impulsive, but still, the Lord put His trust and confidence in him to take care of His flock. We are all like Peter, yet Jesus is willing to commission and take a chance on us to continue the mission He entrusted the Apostles. It is a privilege but also a responsibility! We have a loving God who trusts and believes us despite our unworthiness. Let us all journey to God and take the road of humility, guided by penance and prayer.

Lord, help us remember that we are “comissioners,” and on a mission.

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