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Reflection

Today in the Gospel (cf. Mt 16, 13-20), Jesus asks the disciples a good question: “Who do people say that the Son of man is?” (v. 13).
… Many see him as a great teacher, as a special person: good, righteous, consistent, courageous. … But is this enough to understand who he is, and above all, is it enough for Jesus? It seems not. If he were simply a person from the past—just as the figures cited in the same Gospel, John the Baptist, Moses, Elijah and the great prophets were for the people—he would merely be a good memory of a bygone time. And for Jesus, this will not do. Therefore, immediately afterwards, the Lord asks the disciples the decisive question: “But who do you—you!—say that I am?” (v. 15). Who am I for you, now? Jesus does not want to be a key figure from the past; He wants to be an important person for you today, of my today; not a distant prophet: Jesus wants to be the God who is close to us!
Christ, brothers and sisters, is not a memory of the past, but the God of the present. … Jesus is alive: let us remember this. Jesus is alive, Jesus lives in the Church, he lives in the world, Jesus accompanies us, Jesus is by our side, He offers us his Word, he offers us his grace, which enlighten and refresh us on the journey. He, an expert and wise guide, is happy to accompany us on the most difficult paths and the steepest slopes.

Who do people say that I am?
Pope Francis, Aug. 27, 2023