Who Do You Say That I Am?

I once knew a very devout woman whose adult godchild had fallen away from the practice of the faith. This godchild still believed in God, and even felt a sense of belonging in the Church. He was a good and kind person. But poor catechesis and a society that confuses pleasure with joy had left him lax in practice, without an appreciation of the sacraments. He was making choices that threatened his soul.

His godmother wanted more for him. She planned to speak with him about his life, hoping to encourage him to return to the practice of the faith. She knew that, when she brought this up, he would reply that it wasn’t important to attend Mass or to receive the Eucharist, that was all just “extra.”

She told me that she was going to begin their conversation by asking him the question Jesus poses to Peter in Matthew 16:15 — the critical question in all our lives, the question whose answer will define what we become in this world and the next.

Her godson knew the answer. She was confident, unshakably, that he did. He may have forgotten it or ignored it. He may have tried to convince himself he wasn’t entirely sure. He may have refused to give an answer. But he knew it. He knew the answer.

There is a reason that, after Peter’s response, Jesus gives him the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

“Who do you say that I am?”

Let our whole lives be our answer.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” — Matthew 16:16

©LPi