Who Do You Say I Am?

Written by BPNews Team | 28 January 2010

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
(Red) Cycle A/ Year II (June 29, 2008)
Acts 12:1-11/ 2 Tim 4:6-8/ Mt 16:13-19

“Who do you say I am? (Mt 16:15)” This is the question Christ raised to His Apostles when they were at Caesarea Philippi, the place of temples of different gods and goddesses. With such query on that place, Christ put Himself equal with the divine and demanded a favorable answer from His Apostles. Simon, prompted by the Holy Spirit, replied without doubt or hesitation: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). Christ, realizing that it was His Father who revealed the fact to Simon, named Simon as Peter and promised him to be the foundation of His Church and to give him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the powers over the Church. In this consisted the vocation of Peter – to be the Shepherd of Christ’s flock.

The vocation of Paul began with a similar question put on the very mouth of Paul and addressed to the Lord. Saul was on the road going to Damascus to persecute Christians when suddenly a light from heaven shone around him and falling on the ground, he heard the voice that said: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? (Acts 9:4)” Saul questioned: “Who are you, Lord?” The answer came: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). Knowing Jesus through such personal encounter with Him, Saul then became converted from being persecutor of Christians to propagator of Christian faith to the pagans. His conversion was symbolized by the change of name from Saul to Paul. He became a worthy apostle of Christ.

“Who do you say I am?” and “Who are you, Lord?” are questions that taken lightly seem only to lead to a natural conversation in which the identity of the speakers is demanded. But taking in consideration the persons involved and the occasion, in which those questions were asked, the said questions rather lead to deeper realities such as revelation, conversion and mission. With those questions Peter and Paul had known the real identity of Jesus Christ. Such discovery of the identity of Christ led them to a personal conversion and with such conversion Christ had given them their specific missions. 

Like Peter and Paul, all of us Christians are followers of Christ. The problem with us is that many of us seem to follow Christ without truly knowing who He is in Himself and who He is for us individually or personally. To some Christ is simply a friend who is there always to understand them in all that they do and in any situation they encounter. To others Christ is a provider who gives them their needs and wants in life. Still others treat Jesus as a comforter who is there always whenever they have problem, ready to console and reassure them. Many see Christ as a savior in the sense that He is there always to save them when they have problems or they are in danger of any kind of threat in life. Some consider Jesus as simply a model of virtues and a guide to the Father and to Heaven. Not a few see Him as a hero for dying on the cross for the sake of the whole human race. Various believe that He is an intercessor in heaven while several are convinced that He is rather a teacher that enlightens our minds through the Bible and the teachings of the Church and our souls through the graces given to us in the sacraments.

Actually there is no wrong with those claims about Christ for they are all correct. The problem is when we see Christ only in such perspective. As Christians we must not see Christ in only one perspective-the perspective from which we want Christ to be for us. That would be a selfish kind of relating with Christ. With that, we seem to use Christ according to our needs instead of Christ using us according to His divine plan. Rather, we must look at Jesus as He is-the Christ, Son of the living God. With such knowledge of Christ, our Christian journey of genuine faith begins. We must also believe that Christ is present in us so much so that whatever we do, we should do in the name of the Lord and for the glory of God. With this, our Christian mission begins. 

It is important then for us Christians to ask who Jesus is in Himself and who He is for us; what has He done for us and what does He expect us to believe and do. To know Jesus Christ, it is a vital necessity for us to read the Bible especially the gospels, know the teachings of the Church, and establish a personal relationship with Him through personal daily prayers and attendance to the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays. Only through a truthful knowledge of Christ and a personal experience of Him can we say that we really know Him. And only with such genuine knowledge of Christ can we be converted and live the life of Christ of being a child of God. Then we are capable enough to proclaim the message of Christ to others through our teaching, preaching, evangelization and charitable activities. 

This feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is a calling for us to an authentic discipleship. Both of them abandoned their old life and accepted a new life that came from Christ. Both lived their lives in fidelity to Christ and in service to His Church. And both offered their lives, dying martyrs in Rome, for the glory of God. Thus, if we want to become true disciples of Christ, we must do what Peter and Paul did: living the life of Christ and doing things in the service of Christ’s Church and for the glory of God until the last breath. This is possible only when we accept Christ as He is, without personal bias, and offer our lives to Him as His servants and followers.