MY daily reflection and prayer:
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. Matthew 16: 13-23
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 Messiah, 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.” Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
IN the Gospel we read, while people attempted to know Jesus by identifying him with others as John the Baptist, or comparing him to Elijah or Jeremiah; the apostles know him more than Elijah, Jeremiah or even John. So when Jesus said to them, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
People had first compared Jesus Christ to all of the holy ones of Israel’s past, but soon Simon Peter on behalf of the apostles saw that Jesus surpassed them all. Yes, how wonderful it is to know by faith that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God. It’s why Jesus Christ said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist we adore Jesus Christ for we trust in him that he is the Son of God. Do we appreciate this wondrous gift of knowing God, our Redeemer through the person of Jesus Christ, his Son?
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, in our adoration we come to admire and adore you lovingly, but only grace can allow us to believe. Only grace can strengthen our faith and allow us to see and understand things the way you do. Give us the gift of faith, so we might rise above those limits and come to know you as our Saviour now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
