Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’

And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

And I tell you, you are Peter,

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,and on this rock I will build my church,

  "Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Jeremiah 31:31-34

  The time is coming –

It is Yah­­­­weh who speaks – when I will forge a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah.   It will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. For they broke my covenant although I was their Lord.

 This is the covenant I shall make with Israel after that time: I will put my Law within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God and they will be my people.

 And they will not have to teach each other, neighbor or brother, saying: ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the greatest to the lowliest, for I will forgive their wrongdoing and no longer remember their sin.”

 

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

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

  

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊   

Matthew 16:13-23

After that Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of man is?”  They said, “For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?”  Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”   Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Bar­jona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.

And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

 From that day Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem; he would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and be raised on the third day.

Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, “Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you.” But Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path. You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

A Schizophrenic Faith

Peter’s declaration of faith in Christ came as a revelation from the Father, as Jesus points out to him. However, comprehend what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God? The later events tell us that peter had no idea.

If he had, he would not have played “Satan” and opposed the plan of God. It is one thing to receive a revelation; yet another to receive the grace of understanding and living the same.

 

How many times we toss around phrases such as: “Jesus is my Lord and Savior” and “ I believe in God”: but do they translate into flesh and blood in our lives?

If Jesus is the Lord and Savior, how willing are we to let this Lord take the reins of our lives and lead it wherever he wishes? Does our faith suffer from a schizophrenic split between what we proclaim in the Creed and how we live our lives?