21st Week in Ordinary Time
In this weekend’s Gospel Peter receives that all important question – “who do you say I am.” Jesus wasn’t concerned about what others had told Peter, he wanted Peter’s own assessment.
There are two ways we can know people. The first type, is what we hear about people from others. In other words, we know people by what others have told us about them. This type of knowing has its usefulness, but can also be very dangerous because we shape our opinions of a person on how other people perceive them. The second type of knowing a person, the one that Jesus refers to, is a personal encounter with them. This is the best way of truly knowing someone – through relationship. And this is what Jesus alludes to today. Jesus is not concerned for what others have said to Peter about Him, rather he asks Peter to reflect on his own experience of Christ.
We all know many things about Jesus from what others have told us. But today’s gospel reminds us to reflect on our own experience of Christ– who and what does Jesus mean to me?
God bless, Fr Graeme
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