DOCTRINE AND FAITH (Isaiah 22,19-23; Romans 11,33-36; Matt16, 13-20: 21st Sunday of Year A)

The gospel episode of this Sunday can be described as the centre of the whole gospel narrative; it is the point that divides the life and preaching of Jesus Christ into two phases. In the first part of the gospel, one notices isolated cases of hostility against Jesus because his actions did not correspond to the expectation of his contemporaries. In the second phase, which follows the episode of this Sunday hostilities against Jesus, were no more isolated cases but became a habitual and growing attitude that developed into the concrete plan of his physical elimination. Jesus did not see the situation just as casual happenings emanating from erring human mind and will, but rather as a part of divine plan towards the realisation of God’s salvific intention for humanity. Jesus was aware that the plan to save mankind will be actualised by him through suffering and death. In God’s plan/design the destiny to suffer and even to die was not Jesus’ lot alone, but also that of his disciples.   It was, therefore, necessary for Jesus to reveal to his disciples his true identity. That was what he did with the episode of today’s gospel reading. 

Firstly, Jesus asked the disciples whom the people thought he was. The replies of the disciples showed that the people held him as a great and important personality to accost and identified him with some of the great prophets, like John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah. But this general opinion was still inadequate and inexact. Jesus then directed the question to his disciples. Peter, inspired, proclaimed on behalf of the other disciples: You are the Christ (the Anointed,  the Messiah), the Son of the living  God.Jesus declared that the proclamation/ confession of Peter was not out of human effort of reasoning but the gift of God the Father. 

The mysterious reality of Christ can be grasped only by the supernatural illumination, which comes from the Father and which man/woman welcomes in faith. On account of Peter’s confession, Jesus called him blessed and by giving him (Simon) the new namePeter, Jesus announced a new mission for him. The new name Peter is symbolic as Peter/Rock should be the foundation stone,the rock, that should be strong and solid enough for the Church to be built upon. In addition, Peter was also conferred with the plenitude of power for salvific mission in the Church: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven (the key is symbol of sovereignty and absolute power). Peter would have supreme power of decision on doctrinal and disciplinary issues of the Church and the decision he takes will be recognised and ratified valid in heaven: Whatever you bind on earth, shall be considered bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall he considered loosed in heaven. This solemn investiture of Peter as head and fundament /foundation of the Church is concluded with Christ’s promise that he would be assisting the Church and with the assurance that the power of evil will never prevail over the Church. Jesus declared: and the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. 

Peter answered for himself and for the other disciples, yet the question stares us on the face: Who is Jesus? This is a question which is addressed to all who come into contact with him in one way or the other. Everyone will have to, willingly or unwillingly, take personal position about him. It is a major part of the work of evangelisation of every age and epoch to pose the provocative question: Who is Jesus for you?  The mission of the Church is no other than to repeat at one generation or the other the confession of Peter, to make it the topic of constant preaching to the world:Christ is the promised Messiah; he is the Saviour of entire humanity; Christ is the Son of God. If we ask people on the street, that is, the ordinary people, what they think of Jesus, perhaps we would be having some distressing answers. Perhaps, most people will consider him as a great benefactor of humanity, a first class and insuperable moralist, or even an ideal person, a genius in fighting for justice, righteousness and concrete love. It is not enough to say that he is a super-man or even a super-star just as the answers given by Jesus’ contemporaries were inadequate.Christ is a mystery that is beyond human understanding and which is grasped only in faith. But, if the question, who is Christ to you, is posed to us, the practicing Catholics in Nigeria, what would be your answer? The question will surely throw a good number of us into confusion and embarrassment. This is because, it is not just giving an answer from the doctrine or dogma point of view even though such answers will easily come to mind but what is required is an answer that is the fruit of personal conviction, that is, the result of lived experience of faith. 

      Is Christ really salvation, redemption, sanctification for me; the supreme and the ultimate reason of my existence? Is he the one who has radically changed my life? Is Christ a brother, friend, companion for me in the journey of life? Is he the one to whom I can confide the real and hidden story of my intimate life? Is he the one to whom I can entrust with the real motives of my actions? Jesus meets everyone of us personally and individually and poses the question: Whom do you think I am? In the secret of our consciences each one of us will have to give answer to this very important and determining question. May we in the Eucharistic celebration of this Sunday beg God for divine inspiration and revelation in order to answer correctly, convincingly and adequately from the depth of our hearts. Happy Sunday! 

+John I. Okoye