Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 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.”
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace of an interior knowledge of your heart, a heart that desires the salvation of souls no matter the cost.
Encountering Christ:
- God’s Intention: In today’s first reading Jeremiah spoke from the heart of God. We saw his intention to make a New Covenant, a binding relationship of love in which God claimed his people as his own, personally executing their exodus from slavery as a Father rescuing a beloved son or daughter. Jeremiah’s prophetic words offer hope of a God who is near at hand, who stakes his rightful claim over his people, and who will give them a fresh start, “never more calling their sin to mind.” Let’s ponder God’s intention for his people, an intention he continues to hold today for you and for me.
- Evoking Conviction: In the Gospel, Jesus progressively asked his disciples to consider and confess their conviction about who he is. His leading question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” took a personal turn when he asked, “But you, who do you say I am?” Is there a distinction? Perhaps Jesus was provoking an awareness of their belief. Did they believe what others said about him or did they come to a deep conviction based on their experience and the authority of his word and deeds? If we imagine Jesus asking us this question, what voices resound within that define who Jesus is? Do they come tainted with negative human experience from who mainstream culture tells us he is, or from our sincere encounters with him? When Peter professed his conviction that Jesus was the “Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Jesus recognized that the response came not from superficial emotions nor from human agencies, but from the Father who revealed the truth. How do we make space in our life to receive the same revelation from the Father and truly discover who Jesus is in his word and deeds?
- A New Name, a New Mission: After Peter’s heartfelt and enlightened confession of faith, Jesus bestowed upon him a new name and a new mission. “Peter, upon this rock I will build my Church.” To know Christ is to be caught up in his life by existing for others. Peter was integrated into the mission of Jesus, sent by the Father. He would lead God’s people and hold the keys to the Kingdom, the keys that offer access to the New Covenant mediated by Jesus Christ through his paschal mystery. But as soon as Peter received this new mission, he was tempted to carry it out according to his criteria, not God’s criteria: “suffering, death, and rising on the third day.” Jesus struck back against Peter’s rash and pragmatic mindset, inviting him to think like God, who sacrificed his only Son. It is a testament to the criteria that a true disciple must embody, one of laying down one’s life for the other.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you invite me to enter into a New Covenant with you and in you. Open my eyes to see how this translates into following you in my daily life. Grant me new hearing which is attentive to the secular mindset that obscures my capacity to follow your heart.
Resolution: Lord, I will be attentive today to my thoughts, particularly those that need to be infused with greater faith.
For Further Reflection: Discernment of Spirits, Rule 2.
Jennifer Ristine is a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi dedicated to spiritual and faith formation through teaching, conferences, writing, and spiritual direction. While serving in Ancient Magdala she wrote Mary Magdalene: Insights from Ancient Magdala and “Nine Days with Mary Magdalene.”
