Fr Marco Lazzaron
he Gospel of this Sunday brings us to a decisive moment in Jesus’ journey with His disciples: the moment when He wishes to see how far their faith in Him has grown. First, He asks what the people think of Him: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The disciples, as the Evangelist tells us, reply: “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets”. In other words, the people think that Jesus is a prophet—which is true—but they fail to grasp the very heart of His Person and the true centre of His mission.
Then Jesus asks the question that matters most to Him. He turns directly to His disciples and says: “But you, who do you say that I am?” Jesus clearly distinguishes the Apostles from the crowd, as if to say: You, who are with Me every day and know Me personally, what have you understood that others have not? The Master expects from them an answer that goes beyond public opinion.
When Simon Peter makes that confession—“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”—he finds on his lips words greater than himself, words that do not come from his own natural abilities but are inspired by the Heavenly Father. God the Father has revealed to the first of the Twelve the true identity of Jesus: He is the Messiah, the Son of God.
Through Peter’s profession of faith, Jesus recognises that, thanks to the faith given by the Father, there is now a solid foundation upon which He can build His community, His Church Even today, Jesus wishes to continue building His Church with us—a house founded on solid rock, yet one in which cracks are never absent and which constantly needs repair. The Church is not merely a human institution like any other; it is intimately united to God. Christ cannot be separated from the Church any more than the head can be separated from the body (cf. 1Cor 12:12). He is present in her midst, giving her life, nourishment, and strength.
None of us feels like a great rock; we are only small stones. Yet no small stone is useless. In the hands of Jesus, even the smallest stone becomes precious. He picks it up, looks upon it with great tenderness, shapes it through His Spirit, and places it exactly where He has always intended it to be, where it can best contribute to the whole building. All of us, then, however small we may be, become “living stones”.
Jesus wanted His Church to have a visible centre of unity in Peter. Though Peter was weak and ordinary, Jesus chose him and entrusted him with the mission of strengthening His Church. That same mission continues today through the Pope, the Successor of Peter.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, through the prayers of Mary, Queen of the Apostles and Mother of the Church, bless and strengthen our Holy Father. Fill him with the wisdom and courage of the Holy Spirit as he leads Your Church in faith and love. May the Virgin Mary walk with us and help us to grow in unity, charity, and communion, so that together we may faithfully witness to Christ in the world. Amen.