Monday of the Second Week of Lent (Chair of St. Peter the Apostle)

1 Peter 5:1-4 and Matthew 16:13-19

The Gospel today asks a fundamental question that each and every one of us must answer: “Who you do say that I am?” So who do you say that Jesus is? Is He a great teacher? Is He someone who lived long ago who has no connection to your life? Is He someone you may or may not think of at Church on Sunday but not for the rest of the week? Is He someone whose teachings challenge your way of life, so you relegate Him to the background so you don’t feel uncomfortable?

Who do you say that Jesus is? This is the foundational question for all Christians. If we echo Saint Peter in today’s Gospel, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” then this truth should permeate our entire being. Our lives must be different if we claim Jesus as the Son of the Living God. We cannot live as the world lives, but rather must allow the truth of Jesus as Christ to transform the way we act on a daily basis.

C.S. Lewis famously said in Mere Christianity that Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. Jesus asks us today: “Who do you say that I am?” May this Lent be an opportunity for each of us to reflect on who we say Jesus is, and allow our answer to shape the way we live.

Vanessa Walsh
Campus Ministry