What about you?

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062313.cfm) reminds me that God is concerned with our personal relationship with Him.

For those who are in love, especially those in the honeymoon or “kilig” stage, the comment is not as important as the one giving the comment. For example, being given a complement is more impactful if given by someone you love or like, rather than a normal friend or relative. Agree? This shows how important a person is in our lives, and what impact a personal relationship has.

In the gospel, we see Jesus valuing our personal relationship as shown by Peter’s answer. Yes, he asked them who other people say that he was, but he was not concerned of their answer. He was more concerned of what their answer would be.  “But who do you say that I am?” He wanted to know what they thought of him. he wanted to know who he was to them. He wanted to know who Jesus is in their lives.

I believe he is asking us the same question. “Who do you say that I am?”

If we say that He is our God, our king, then we must be willing to submit to him. We must be willing to serve not him, but with him. As he continued in the gospel, we must “take up our cross DAILY and follow Him.” We are not to act like friends of influential people of the earth, acting all powerful and important, expecting people to submit to them. Instead, we should take up our cross and follow him. Not just that, emphasis is on daily. This is not a one time big time decision. This involves daily, small decisions to follow Him. Then we can trully say that Jesus is God in our lives.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for reminding me how important I am to you and how important my personal relationship to you is, Lord, I pray that I may take time and work on my relationship with you through prayer, bible reading and the sacraments. May I give much importance to it as you do. I also pray that you give me the strength to take up my cross daily. May I always make the decision to follow you, every day with the little and big decisions that I make. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-