Who Am I for You?

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/080416.cfm) makes me think who Jesus is in my life. 

The gospel shows us Jesus asking the disciples the question: Who am I to you? He asked them who other people said he was, but it was really not important to Jesus. What matters to him is who his disciples see him for. Who he is to his disciples. Peter proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ of God. Jesus then affirmed it, and reminded them that even though he is such, he will have to suffer in the hands of people – telling them that they would suffer too as his followers, but with the assurance of victory when Jesus told them he will be raised on the third day.

Today, God is asking us the same question: Who am I to you? It does not matter what other people say Jesus is. It does not matter what sins we have committed in the past. It does not matter what we intend to do in our lives. What matters for Christ is our answer to his question. And we can only say he is our God if we have an intimate and personal relationship with him. if we don’t pray, if we don’t hear mass and take the sacraments, if we don’t read the bible, if we don’t experience Jesus, we cannot honestly say that he is our God. Probably we can say that other people say he is, or other people say he is a great and loving God, but unless we build an intimate relationship with Him, we cannot say the same.

We are challenged today.

Proclaiming who Jesus is for us is not a one time decision. we cannot just say he is our God and forget about it. We need to constantly work on our relationship with God. We need to constantly be conscious of how we live our lives. Our relationship with God today will not automatically extend until forever. We need to do our part. Otherwise, we may be like Peter who one moment proclaimed who Jesus was, and the other referred to as satan by Jesus because he was not willing to submit to God's plans.  

Who is Jesus to you? Who is Jesus in your life? Do you put Him first in your life? Do you believe that He is the all loving, all merciful, all powerful God? Do you believe that He can work great things to and through you? Do you work on your relationship with God? Do you do it constantly?

May we find it in our hearts to answer him like Peter did – that he is Christ the God, that he is God in our lives. May we work to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him, and work harder to maintain and grow it.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder snd challenge. I praise and adore you for who you are. Lord, I am so blessed that you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and that no matter what I do, you will not love me less. I am so grateful to be worshipping the same God that Peter worshipped, and I believe that you will use me in a mighty way the same way you used Peter for your glory. Lord, I ask that you help me live proclaiming that you are the Messiah, that you are my God, so that I can bring people to you and glorify you. Help me build and sustain an intimate and personal relationship with you. This I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2014/06/who-am-i-to-you.html

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August 4, 2016
Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest
Lectionary: 410

Reading 1 Jer 31:31-34

The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers:
the day I took them by the hand
to lead them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they broke my covenant,
and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.
But this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD.
I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives
how to know the LORD.
All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,
for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R. (12a) Create a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Alleluia Mt 16:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 16:13-23

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
and 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 Christ, 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 Christ.

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 Jesus 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.”