20/02/2024

"Who do you say I am?" 

The men who witnessed this conversation between Peter and Jesus were not part of the educated elite of first century Palestine. They were men who were able to provide the necessities of life for themselves and their families only by their own labour. They were fishermen and labourers, workmen known only to God.

By the time this letter was circulated throughout the Roman Provinces we now know as Turkey Peter had witnessed the living Mission of Jesus. He had come to understand the comprehensive reality of his own reply. He had seen Christ in his Glory on Mount Tabor. He had been present at the many rebuttals of Temple Intelligentsia, witnessed numerous miracles and deserted "The Son of the Living God" at the time of pain and sorrow. He had also become a leader of the followers of the way first trodden by Jesus.

Many generations have passed since Peter atoned in bitter grief for his desertion of Jesus. The groups of believers lead by witnesses to the teaching of the Living Word have grown into many massive organisations in this world. People in their millions have been born and live on as unembodied souls. The World is full of the accumulated wealth of ages in Temples dedicated to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And the poor still starve on earth.

The Institution which was founded on St Peter still claims the Power of the Keys but has never learned the lesson dramatized by Jesus' critical treatment of the "Priests and Scribes" and his words to Pilate. God's Realm is Spiritual and the only thing that remains for all of us as we die is God's knowledge of how we have responded to his unimaginable trust, belief in us by letting us have complete freedom in how we use his gift of life. 

"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that we might have life." At the end of this life, we will all ask of our Father "Who do you say I am?" It is our earthly deeds which will be the basis for his reply. 

Dear Lord, you know how  easy it is for me to get entangled in my own thoughts. Help me to come to terms with all the strands of knowledge that trap me into the self-centeredness that I must avoid in my desire to know, love and serve only You. I would dearly love to be happy in the timeless next life  as I am certainly  sure that I and this world are passing away. May Mary who was also present with the Apostles to receive the Holy Ghost as she had been at the foot of the cross to receive her maternal for all mankind mission, continue by her prayers to bring earthly sinners into your fold and may all the Holy Souls soon receive your bountiful Mercy. Amen