by Msgr. Joseph P. Calise
The Lectionary presents as today’s Gospel the first half of a section from St. Matthew’s Gospel that depicts two critical conversations between Jesus and Peter. The second half will be proclaimed next weekend. Individually, they have great significance, but that significance is amplified when the two are viewed together. Hopefully, that will be clearer over the next two weeks.
In today’s dialogue, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say I am?” He wants them to describe the gossip they have been hearing. Ultimately, Jesus is not terribly concerned about their answers. He uses it as a segue to the more important question, “But who do you say that I am?” They have been traveling with Him, witnessing His works, and hearing His teaching. Now, He wants them to start putting the pieces together.
Simon does not hesitate to answer, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” he says. Jesus commends his answer and proclaims that his answer has made him a new creation: He would be called Peter, a name that means “rock,” and upon that rock the Church would be built. Peter’s statement of faith would become the foundation of Christ’s community. At this moment, Peter receives a place of honor and responsibility. Even after a very different conversation that we will hear about next Sunday, even after denying Jesus three times and fleeing from the cross, Peter was recognized as the leader among the apostles. Nothing would change that — he is the rock.
Of course, this is a critical moment, not only in the lives of the disciples but also for each one of us. At some point in our faith lives, we each must determine for ourselves the role Christ and the Church will have in our lives. Whether we live our lives based on the principles Christ teaches us or choose another path is our choice to make and reflects our answer to the question, “Who do YOU say I am?” The answer changes us. Christ is who He is — whether we choose to live in His grace or not. Our decision for faith enriches us and, in turn, gives us the opportunity to enrich the church.
Next week, the conversation will take a very different turn and teach us a very comforting dimension of our faith life. In 1886, the Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson, published his classic novella, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
Dr. Jekyll is a well-respected man, admired by everyone. Mr. Hyde is a horrible villain who is keeping a city in fear. I think the story is well enough known that I do not have to be concerned about a spoiler alert: The crux of the case is that they are, in fact, the same person.
Mr. Hyde is a chemically altered manifestation of Dr. Jekyll. The moral, put simply, is that even the best among us is capable of doing evil, of making mistakes.
This section of Matthew’s Gospel invites us to answer for ourselves, for Christ and for the Church, who we think He is, and what place we want to give our faith in our daily living. However, Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves and understands human weakness. He calls us to our best, not to the impossible.
Msgr. Joseph P. Calise is the pastor of Transfiguration-St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Maspeth.