KNOW WHO YOU ARE
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
First reading (Isaiah 22:19-23)
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 138:1-2,
2-3, 6, 8)
Second reading (Romans 11:33-36)
Gospel (Matthew 16:13-20)
We often know who we are according to how we see and know others. From knowing our parents, we realize that we are their children. From knowing that we have teachers in class, we realize that we are students. From knowing our brothers and sisters, we learn that we are brothers and sisters also to them. The list goes on and on. And on.
But from knowing God, what do we realize ourselves to be? In the readings for this Sunday, we will see that in knowing God, we not only see ourselves in relation to Him, but we also see ourselves according to what God has destined us to be.
In the gospel reading (from the account of Matthew), we hear of Simon Peter recognizing Jesus as “…the Christ, the Son of the living God.” After this, Jesus points out to him who Simon Peter is, or is to be –the rock upon which Jesus would build His Church. Upon recognizing who Jesus was, Peter learns who he is, not only as a disciple of Jesus, but as one of the foundations of the Church.
Now one question remains: Why Peter? Why the short-tempered Peter? Why Peter who was said to be “a man of little faith”? St. Paul may lend us some help in this confusion, through our second reading (from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans), where he describes how great and deep is the knowledge and judgment of God that no man’s knowledge can ever rival. It is through God’s wisdom, that the supposedly “unqualified” Peter was made qualified to be an important foundation of the Church.
God’s sees something in Peter that even his fellow disciples do not see. God sees in each one of us potential, or rather God gives us a potential that He always recognizes. Let us pray that we recognize it too, just as we keep on saying over and over that we recognize and see Jesus in our life. If you haven’t recognized who Jesus is in your life. It’s never too late.
In my life, I see myself now as someone beyond just a seminarian, or a priest-to-be, or someone else important. Rather, I see myself as someone who is striving to be a good Christian because I recognize Jesus as a “Kuya” who guides me and corrects me. Maybe that’s what we all ought to aim first. And that is what I’ll continue to do until I get to know who Jesus is more, not just to the church, but to my life as a person.
And so I continue to pray. Let us continue to pray.
We often know who we are according to how we see and know others. From knowing our parents, we realize that we are their children. From knowing that we have teachers in class, we realize that we are students. From knowing our brothers and sisters, we learn that we are brothers and sisters also to them. The list goes on and on. And on.
But from knowing God, what do we realize ourselves to be? In the readings for this Sunday, we will see that in knowing God, we not only see ourselves in relation to Him, but we also see ourselves according to what God has destined us to be.
In the gospel reading (from the account of Matthew), we hear of Simon Peter recognizing Jesus as “…the Christ, the Son of the living God.” After this, Jesus points out to him who Simon Peter is, or is to be –the rock upon which Jesus would build His Church. Upon recognizing who Jesus was, Peter learns who he is, not only as a disciple of Jesus, but as one of the foundations of the Church.
Now one question remains: Why Peter? Why the short-tempered Peter? Why Peter who was said to be “a man of little faith”? St. Paul may lend us some help in this confusion, through our second reading (from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans), where he describes how great and deep is the knowledge and judgment of God that no man’s knowledge can ever rival. It is through God’s wisdom, that the supposedly “unqualified” Peter was made qualified to be an important foundation of the Church.
God’s sees something in Peter that even his fellow disciples do not see. God sees in each one of us potential, or rather God gives us a potential that He always recognizes. Let us pray that we recognize it too, just as we keep on saying over and over that we recognize and see Jesus in our life. If you haven’t recognized who Jesus is in your life. It’s never too late.
In my life, I see myself now as someone beyond just a seminarian, or a priest-to-be, or someone else important. Rather, I see myself as someone who is striving to be a good Christian because I recognize Jesus as a “Kuya” who guides me and corrects me. Maybe that’s what we all ought to aim first. And that is what I’ll continue to do until I get to know who Jesus is more, not just to the church, but to my life as a person.
And so I continue to pray. Let us continue to pray.
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