Enkindle in Them the Fire of Your Love: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Liturgical readings

Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1
Psalm 63
Galatians 3:26-29
Luke 9:18-24

"Peter said in reply, 'The Messiah ofGod'".

For Sunday's gospel on June 20, 2010, we will hear of Luke's version of Peter's profession of faith. Luke's version begins after the story of the multiplication of the loaves. Jesus finished prayer and then went to His disciples and put this first question to them: "who do the crowds say that I am?" The disciples answered that people perceived Him as one of the prophets. Then Jesus directed this same question to His own disciples ("who do you say that I am?"). Peter was the one who spoke and said: "the Messiah of God". This profession of faith from Peter led Jesus to teach His disciples about the reality of His being Messiah: that it would mean facing great suffering, rejection and death.

This passage in Luke is found in the middle of chapter 9 of the gospel. Before Peter's profession of faith, Herod the tetrarch (in Luke 9:7-9) heard of Jesus, and how He went on mission with His disciples to spread the good news and to cure many people. The people around Herod also had the same perception of Jesus' identity: they perceive Him to be one of the prophets of old who has risen. This perception among the people in Herod's court made him perplexed, as he beheaded the prophet John the Baptist. He was thus curious to know who this Jesus is.

It took time before the apostles and disciples really understood who Jesus was. Even with the signs and miracles Jesus performed, the apostles could not perceive completely who Jesus is. Only when the events Jesus foretold came to pass (i.e. His passion, death and resurrection) did they fully comprehend the Truth. In this Sunday's gospel, we see Peter as being inspired by the Spirit to know the divine Personhood of Jesus. Peter however still did not yet understand fully what this meant. Otherwise, he would not have denied Jesus three times during His passion.

Points for reflection: We know who Jesus is as He is continually revealed to us by the Church in Word and Sacrament. But if we imagine ourselves in this very gospel scene, and join Peter and the disciples, how would we perceive Jesus' Person in our minds and hearts? Would we have the same perception of Him as did the people? Or would we have the same profession of faith like Peter?