A question of identity

Who do you say I am?" This query set by Christ to his Apostles will sound somewhat surprising to us no less than it must have sounded to the Apostles.

Jesus certainly knew very well who he was, the Son of God made man and Saviour of all humanity. Now, however, that his time with his disciples was getting shorter and shorter, it was most important that they should have a clear idea about his mission on earth, and still more of their own mission as his representatives on earth after he is gone.

It was, in brief, a question of identity: of Jesus' identity in the minds of the Apostles, and of their own mission in the world from now on.

While the rest of the Apostles must have remained confused when challenged by Christ's unexpected question, Peter unhesitatingly comes forward and, on behalf of his friends, openly declares what he thought of Jesus: "You are the Son of the living God."

Let us suppose for a while that He would set the same question to each one of us, privately, in our heart of hearts: what would our answer be? What do I think of Christ?

Strictly speaking, we have already given our answer at our own Baptism, through our parents and godparents. This same answer we 'confirmed' after a few years at our own Confirmation, and in fact we keep renewing it whenever we receive the Eucharist or any other sacrament.

For the sacraments instituted by Christ are in themselves personal meetings with Jesus himself as our divine Saviour.

But there is a more important question each one of us should set for himself or herself: How do I answer our Lord's question by deeds, and not by words alone?

Am I truly committed to Christ? Am I always motivated by love in all my deeds? Do I manifest my faith in Christ and my commitment to him in all my actions?

We would perhaps come nearer to the right answer if we set the same type of question in a different way: "What does Christ think of me?" Only the prayerful voice of our own conscience can answer that question truthfully. Conceit and pride are known to blur our true vision of reality whenever we ourselves are concerned.

Depending on the sincere answer we give to that question will also be the awareness of our commitment to Christ and to our vocation as Christians.

Such was in fact the case with Peter, who in all sincerity had given the right answer to the Lord's query. "You are the Rock (Peter), and upon this Rock I shall build my Church."

Peter's commission was not to be an easy one, as the entire course of Church history can testify. But Peter and his successors as Vicars of Christ, as the millennial course of Church history very well testifies, have withstood all storms and overcome all dangers, faithful to Christ's own directives and assured by the guarantee of Christ's continual presence at the helm:

"The gates of hell shall not prevail against you... And whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven."

At a time of such spiritual, social and ideological turmoil as ours, it is good for us Christians to recall Christ's assurance in our minds from time to time, but also our duty to pray for the Holy Father, who has been such a great inspiration for us Christians and for the whole world.