EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

August 5, Thursday

      Water is a necessity of life, highly appreciated particularly by men living in an arid country, like the Jews, or as they experienced in the desert on their weary way to the Promised Land. Water easily becomes the symbol of God, who is at the same time both a firm, reliable rock and life-giving water. Faith in this rock is demanded.

      Jesus faces his apostles with the question “Who am I?” Peter, in the name of all, professes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, even though probably there is no direct recognition here yet of his divinity, but rather of his divine origin. After this “confession,” the Lord gives Peter his mission as head of the apostolic college and of the Church. Now that they know who he is, he can tell them also of his passion, death and resurrection. Yet, this seems too much at that time: Peter protests. His faith is not strong enough. He thinks still in human terms. We profess to know who Jesus is. But do we too not think too often in merely human ways?

 

First Reading: Numbers 20:1-13

In the first month, the entire company of the People of Israel arrived in the Wilderness of Zin. The people stayed in Kadesh.

Miriam died there, and she was buried.

There was no water there for the community, so they ganged up on Moses and Aaron. They attacked Moses: “We wish we’d died when the rest of our brothers died before God. Why did you haul this congregation of God out here into this wilderness to die, people and cattle alike? And why did you take us out of Egypt in the first place, dragging us into this miserable country? No grain, no figs, no grapevines, no pomegranates—and now not even any water!”

Moses and Aaron walked from the assembled congregation to the Tent of Meeting and threw themselves face down on the ground. And they saw the Glory of God.

God spoke to Moses: “Take the staff. Assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to that rock that’s right in front of them and it will give water. You will bring water out of the rock for them; congregation and cattle will both drink.”

Moses took the staff away from God’s presence, as commanded. He and Aaron rounded up the whole congregation in front of the rock. Moses spoke: “Listen, rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?”

With that Moses raised his arm and slammed his staff against the rock—once, twice. Water poured out. Congregation and cattle drank.

God said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t trust me, didn’t treat me with holy reverence in front of the People of Israel, you two aren’t going to lead this company into the

These were the Waters of Meribah (Bickering) where the People of Israel bickered with God, and he revealed himself as holy.

 

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-23

When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

“And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”

He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.

Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, “Impossible, Master! That can never be!”

But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”

 

Prayer

Our living God,
we too profess that Jesus is your Son,
that he came from you and went back to you.
We thank you for our faith
that we have received as a gift from you.
But forgive us when it becomes difficult for us
always to follow Jesus on his way of suffering and death,
even though we believe that it is the way to glory.
Help us to think and live in your way,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflection:

You are the Christ

The evangelist places the scene in Caesarea Philippi, a place known for the abundance of vegetation, fruits, a fertile land developed by Philip, one of the son of Herod. This locality was formerly called Panias because it was believed that, in this corner of paradise, the pagan God Pan and the Nymphs had established their residence. Philip built a beautiful city here and named it Caesarea, in honour of the emperor Tiberius Caesar. The place offered all the luxuries and happiness of the world. The two names of Caesar and Philip were combined to create the name of the land as Caesarea Philippi. It is here Jesus chooses to question his disciples. To those who believe in Philip, he offered all the luxuries and joys of life. What does Jesus offer? Can Jesus assure something better than Philip? So he questions, “who do people say that I am?” People regarded him as one of the eminent personalities, like John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the ancient prophets (vv. 13-14). Their admiration for Jesus in undeniable. However, the respect and veneration are not sufficient to be regarded as his disciples. Therefore, the more intimate question: “Who do you say that I am?” When Peter makes the profession of faith, he is perhaps not aware of what it implies. The continuation of conversation clearly shows that Peter, in fact, did not understand anything of Christ. Peter’s understanding of the Messiah must have been of a god who behaved like Pan and Nymphs. Jesus renamed Simon— as Cephas- in Aramaic and it does not mean rock, rather it simply meant “construction stones.” The rock on which the Church is built is Christ himself and the profession of faith by Peter and all the believing community is the stone with which the Church is built. All those who, like Peter and with Peter, profess this faith, are the living stones which constructs the Church of God. The expression “the gates of hell” represent the power of evil. They indicate all that is opposed to life and works of God. Jesus assures that nothing can prevent the church from completing its mission of salvation. Peter also receives the keys and the power of binding and loosing. These two images are often used by the rabbis. The rabbis were convinced of possessing the “keys of the Torah” because they knew the Scriptures. They believed that everyone had to depend on their doctrinal decisions and judgments Jesus takes away this key from them, which they appropriated abusively and now hands it over to Peter. He is not assigned to be the doorkeeper of paradise. Instead, Jesus tells him to “become an example to the flock” (1 P 5:3, to open wide the entrance to the knowledge of Christ and of his gospel to everyone. The one who passes through the door opened by Peter with his profession of faith encounters salvation; those who refuse remain excluded.

 

Video available On youtube: You are the Christ