When Jesus
went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do
people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist,
others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them,
“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon
son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly
Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will
give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
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Reflection:
Can we know
Jesus deeply by our own effort and can we have deep friendship with Jesus by
our own will? No, because everything that we know about Jesus and our faith is
a gift from God. Through God’s own doing we know something about HIM and our
faith, everything is grace and we are mere facilitators of this grace.
When Simon
Peter was able to point out the true identity of Jesus. He was subsequently
told by Jesus that he know HIM because of the grace of God. Why did Jesus told
Peter that what he knows about HIM is a gift from God? Perhaps it was Jesus way
of telling Simon Peter that he must humbly use his knowledge about God to bring
others to God and not to bring unto himself the glory that is due to God alone.
Today is,
also the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter one of the two pillars of the church. Why is Peter
successful in his mission to spread the faith? This is for the reason that
remained humble in doing his ministry. Peter, did not raise himself to the
altar of significance and prominence. Peter remained a humble missioner for
Jesus.
This is also
a very good reminder for all of us who share the words of God. When we share,
preach or write about God let us always see to it that we don’t highlight
anyone else except God alone. As Saint John the Baptist said, I must
decrease and HE must increase (John 3:30). – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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