Beloved in Christ,
Jesus asked his disciples a simple but fundamental question when they got into the region of Caesarea Philippi: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13). They offered answers from outsiders: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Next, Jesus posed the same question to the insiders, his close friends: "But who do you say that I am"? Addressing the question personally to them in Caesarea Philippi speaks volumes. Against the background of the temple dedicated to Caesar, the Roman emperor whom people generally considered Lord, a divine one, Jesus was asking a subversive question at that time. Jesus asked his disciples, and all who will become his followers: Who am I to you?
"You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," Peter answered on behalf of others. Jesus is the Lord! He is the anointed one expected to lead all humankind from bondage to sin to freedom. Jesus is not just one of the prophets. He is not an idea or a wise philosopher. Jesus is the anointed one, the expected Messiah. He, and only he, deserves worship. Believers in Jesus can encounter and be in communion with him only when they identify who he is.
Peter came to know who Jesus is because the Holy Spirit moved him to this awareness. Knowing who Jesus is leads to a life lived for him. All other things must flow from a relationship with Christ. Jesus is the one to whom we must ascribe the ultimate worth, not any other person or thing. To whom do I direct the entirety of my heart, mind, thought, energy, interest, time, talents, and emotions? Money, social media, sports, family, politics, or people? If I want to be a faithful Christian, Jesus must be the center of my life. Money, social media, sports, family, and politics must flow from a relationship with Jesus. When we recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, we
must necessarily develop a living relationship with this living person, and we will eventually prioritize him over other things. How do we make this desire a reality?
The lead question is: "But who do you say I am?" Consistently spending quality time and hours of meditation before the Eucharistic Lord would lead to similar, personal Petrine confessions: You are the Christ! You are my savior and the Son of God. Jesus Christ is my Lord! With you all, my beloved in Christ, we are the church called to profess Jesus as our Lord in deeds, words, and worship. As members of one body of Christ, the mystical body of Christ, we are called and sent to proclaim Christ as the Lord to the people we meet. But we cannot give what we don’t possess through ongoing periods of contemplation. We must seek to discover more of Jesus daily through study of Scripture and spiritual reading. We must continue to nourish and strengthen our relationship with Jesus if we want to endure in our call to make Christ known. May I suggest that you attend at least one daily Mass with adoration offered in our parish, Monday to Friday? One hour a week devoted to loving Jesus in prayer is not too much to ask of anyone seeking to encounter Jesus more intimately. To know Him is to love Him and share Him with others.
I wish all our students and teachers a blessed new school year. We bless you as we bless your backpacks this Sunday. The Elizabethtown Fair begins tomorrow, August 24. The Men’s Club and the Council of Catholic Women are flying our parish’s flag again this year. I plead with you to support them by assisting at their stands, patronizing their highly rated food, or both. This is a parish activity, not only for the devoted members of these parish societies. Thank you. Have a blessed week!
In His Joy,
Fr. Alayode, OP
Jesus asked his disciples a simple but fundamental question when they got into the region of Caesarea Philippi: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13). They offered answers from outsiders: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Next, Jesus posed the same question to the insiders, his close friends: "But who do you say that I am"? Addressing the question personally to them in Caesarea Philippi speaks volumes. Against the background of the temple dedicated to Caesar, the Roman emperor whom people generally considered Lord, a divine one, Jesus was asking a subversive question at that time. Jesus asked his disciples, and all who will become his followers: Who am I to you?
"You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," Peter answered on behalf of others. Jesus is the Lord! He is the anointed one expected to lead all humankind from bondage to sin to freedom. Jesus is not just one of the prophets. He is not an idea or a wise philosopher. Jesus is the anointed one, the expected Messiah. He, and only he, deserves worship. Believers in Jesus can encounter and be in communion with him only when they identify who he is.
Peter came to know who Jesus is because the Holy Spirit moved him to this awareness. Knowing who Jesus is leads to a life lived for him. All other things must flow from a relationship with Christ. Jesus is the one to whom we must ascribe the ultimate worth, not any other person or thing. To whom do I direct the entirety of my heart, mind, thought, energy, interest, time, talents, and emotions? Money, social media, sports, family, politics, or people? If I want to be a faithful Christian, Jesus must be the center of my life. Money, social media, sports, family, and politics must flow from a relationship with Jesus. When we recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, we
must necessarily develop a living relationship with this living person, and we will eventually prioritize him over other things. How do we make this desire a reality?
The lead question is: "But who do you say I am?" Consistently spending quality time and hours of meditation before the Eucharistic Lord would lead to similar, personal Petrine confessions: You are the Christ! You are my savior and the Son of God. Jesus Christ is my Lord! With you all, my beloved in Christ, we are the church called to profess Jesus as our Lord in deeds, words, and worship. As members of one body of Christ, the mystical body of Christ, we are called and sent to proclaim Christ as the Lord to the people we meet. But we cannot give what we don’t possess through ongoing periods of contemplation. We must seek to discover more of Jesus daily through study of Scripture and spiritual reading. We must continue to nourish and strengthen our relationship with Jesus if we want to endure in our call to make Christ known. May I suggest that you attend at least one daily Mass with adoration offered in our parish, Monday to Friday? One hour a week devoted to loving Jesus in prayer is not too much to ask of anyone seeking to encounter Jesus more intimately. To know Him is to love Him and share Him with others.
I wish all our students and teachers a blessed new school year. We bless you as we bless your backpacks this Sunday. The Elizabethtown Fair begins tomorrow, August 24. The Men’s Club and the Council of Catholic Women are flying our parish’s flag again this year. I plead with you to support them by assisting at their stands, patronizing their highly rated food, or both. This is a parish activity, not only for the devoted members of these parish societies. Thank you. Have a blessed week!
In His Joy,
Fr. Alayode, OP
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