Reflection for September 25 Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 9:18-22

Gospel: Luke 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. 

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

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Reflection:

Do we live the teachings of Jesus?

When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” they replied that some said He was John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied with conviction, “The Christ of God.”

If Jesus were to ask us, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” I wonder how we would answer. Unlike the disciples, who walked and lived with Jesus and shared and preached the Word of God, we may not yet have shared or preached what we know about Him.

Perhaps we know about Jesus because we have heard His Word, attended Holy Mass, read the Bible, or listened to others speak about Him. But knowing about Jesus is different from truly knowing Him and allowing Him to transform our lives.

What if Jesus were to look into our hearts and ask us the more personal question: “But who do you say that I am?” Would we be able to answer like Peter, with faith and conviction, “The Christ of God”?

This question invites us to look deeply into our hearts. Who is Jesus to us—not only in our words, but also in the way we live, love, forgive, serve, and treat others? It is possible for us to know many things about Jesus and yet remain distant from Him in our hearts. But when we truly encounter Him, our relationship with Him should gradually change the way we live.

These two simple questions from Jesus invite us to examine whether we truly have a personal and living relationship with Him. If we feel that our relationship with Jesus is still weak or distant, let us not become discouraged.

Instead, let us develop a deeper thirst and hunger for the Lord. Let us spend more time with Him in prayer, listen to His Word, receive Him in the Holy Eucharist, seek His mercy, and allow His teachings to become part of our daily lives.

And as we sincerely seek Jesus, let us trust the work of the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit gently draws us closer to Christ, strengthens our faith, and helps us live what we profess to believe. Our faith is not meant to remain only in our minds or on our lips; it is meant to become visible in the way we live each day.

May we therefore come to know Jesus not merely through what others say about Him, but through our own prayer, our personal encounter with Him, and our willingness to follow Him. May our lives become a humble response to Peter’s profession of faith: “The Christ of God.”

When Jesus looks into our hearts today and asks, “But who do you say that I am?” what will our answer be—and more importantly, will the way we live show that Jesus is truly the Christ of God for us?—Marino J. Dasmarinas