Weekly Catholic Bible Study

Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 794: Jesus is Lord (Isaiah 22 : 19-23 ;  Romans 11: 33-36 ; Mathew 16 : 13-20)

 

[Isaiah]

Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace: "I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family."

 

[Romans]

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

 

[Matthew]

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.

 

Reflection

 

Fellow pilgrims, the gospel presents Peter's confession of Jesus (Matt 16:13-20), and its meaning for us who must individually confess Jesus in our life. It implies: (a) Our confession of Jesus is our response to God's love, which depends on who we understand Jesus to be. Each person must make a personal affirmation as to who Jesus is. As it is, he is God the Son who became man for our salvation. (b) Peter’s confession of Jesus was from a personal relationship with him, for it was not just flesh and blood that revealed the mystery of Jesus to him (Matt 16: 17). This means that Peter followed Jesus to know him and encounter him in a personal relationship, and not just to know about Jesus or about what he could gain from the adventure. This is to encourage us that we too can know Jesus, through our personal experience of him in his Word, Sacraments and events of life. Thus, what we hear and read about Jesus should motivate us to recognize our sinfulness that obstructs a clear vision of who Jesus is, motivate us to address our sins, and help us to bond with Jesus and enter into a personal relationship with him. We also address our sinfulness and enter into a personal bonding and communion with Jesus when we receive and encounter him in the sacraments, and when we experience and encounter him in the events of life.

 

(c) And just as the praise of God’s wisdom rose in St. Paul at the end of his contemplation of the mystery of salvation (Rom 11: 33-36), the one who grows in a personal relationship with God will also be filled with God’s wisdom, and praise of this wisdom in one’s life. In the face of such powerful revelation, St. Paul joyfully exclaims God’s praise. For, unworthy though he was on account of his past life, God in his mercy chose him as a servant of God’s people. (d) Also, we can see that Peter’s affirmation resulted in him being given a great responsibility in the community of believers. He was called to be the head of the college of apostles and the rock/ foundation of the Church (Matt 16: 18-19). We can then say that there is certainly a connection between our confession of Jesus and our vocation. Peter’s vocation was in the contest of God’s plan of salvation. Like his, our Christian vocation, which is lived out in our individual vocations, where we manifest and confess our personal experience of Jesus, are our own part in God’s plan of salvation. And with the depth of this our lived faith, we show the depth of our bonding with Jesus.

​

(e) Also, from Peter’s call to head the college of apostles, we see that God’s call to our individual vocation is not really by our might or intelligence or holiness or size or color. God’s call and love are just his gratuitous gift to us as his beloved children. It is God’s love and grace that lifts up those who are weak but are humbly and obediently disposed towards God’s will, as Isaiah affirmed in the choosing of the servant Eliakim to serve and administer God’s household in God’s name, in accord with God’s plans (Isaiah 22: 19-22). Again, we see why Paul praised God; for he recognized God’s deep wisdom and mercy in calling him to be an apostle of Christ despite his former life (Rom 11: 33-36). So, like Peter we are to confess Jesus in a personal way, in our vocation as Christians as well as in our individual careers, for the continued progress of God’s salvation plan, the mission of Christ’s Church. As Pope St. John Paul II reflected: “All vocations are born of Christ, and that is what is expressed by every anointing with Chrism… This is the source of the dignity common to all Christian vocations, which, from this point of view, are all equal. They differ according to the role that Christ assigns to each individual within the community of the church and the responsibility attached to the role. Great care must be taken so that nothing is wasted (Jn 6: 12): no vocation should be wasted because all are valuable and necessary.” (John Paul II, Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way, 37) Peace!

 

Fr. Francis Chukwuma

 

Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Quote from a Saint: “Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am—you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.”– St. Agatha

 

 

Questions for reflection:

1. Who do you understand Jesus to be?

2.  Are you willing to confess Jesus as Lord in all situations and in front of anyone, or are there situations and people that may give you pause? If so, why?

3. Has what you have heard and read about Jesus forced you to evaluate your sinfulness so you can see Jesus more clearly?

4. Would you say that you have a personal relationship with Jesus?

5. Would you say that the “depth of this our lived faith,” shows the depth of your bond with Jesus?

6. Do you confess Jesus in your career? Do you co-workers know that you are a Christian?

7. How would you describe your relationship with Jesus? Is there anything that you could do to improve it?

-Benjamin and Kristen Rinaldo, CfP