In today's readings, Isaiah praises Yahweh for granting him the tongue of a disciple, while Peter uses this same gift to declare Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ. Contemplating Peter’s profound proclamation, we are called to reflect on our own knowledge, relationship, and discipleship with Christ. Such understanding is vital because, by knowing Christ more deeply—“You are the Christ”—we come to know ourselves more fully—“You are Cephas, and upon this rock, I will build my church.” As Saint Ignatius of Loyola teaches, it is our knowledge of Christ that propels us to love Him, which in turn inspires us to follow Him. Following Peter’s example and St. Ignatius's inspiration, therefore, the grace we seek today is, “To know Christ intimately so that I may love Him ardently and follow Him closely.”
As scripture attests, Peter's understanding of Jesus evolves into a profound relationship marked by both divine grace and human frailty. Despite having perfectly answered Jesus’ question, "Who do you say I am?", we see Peter rebuked by Jesus for protesting His impending suffering and death: “Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God thinks, but as human beings do.” We see Peter promising Jesus that he would not abandon Him in His suffering, yet he later denies Him three times after His arrest. Peter runs fearlessly to see the empty tomb but then waits in fear in the Upper Room until the Risen Christ appears. Upon seeing the risen Lord walking on water, Peter jumps out of the boat (forgetting his lack of proper clothing), but soon begins to sink due to self-doubt. He is frustrated when repeatedly asked by the Risen Christ, "Do you love me?" but ultimately receives the responsibility to shepherd the Church: “Take care of my sheep…."
Despite these moments of divine grace and human weakness, Peter's deepening relationship with Christ empowers him to follow closely and be faithful to His call: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Peter remains true to this call even after Christ’s ascension, boldly proclaiming Him to the Jews and ultimately following Him to the point of his own unorthodox death on a cross.
Peter, with both divine guidance and human vulnerability at work within him, stands as a model for our own relationship with Christ. In light of this, we must ask ourselves today:
- What is my personal relationship with the person of Christ today?
- What have I learned about myself through my relationship with Christ?
- How do I answer Jesus’s question to me today, “Who do you say I am?”
- What steps can I take today to deepen my knowledge of Christ, so that I may love Him more ardently and follow Him more closely in the days to come?
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