Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Today is the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle. We are reminded of the rock-solid faith that Peter professed and handed on to others.
Yet, our faith is often questioned and tested. There are many who would like us to change what we believe and alter the teachings of the Church that Jesus founded, guides, and protects.
It is any wonder then that every year ---as we get closer to Holy Week --- television documentaries and magazine articles in the secular world will begin to suggest that they know more about Jesus than we do. For example, they will interview some person who states that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, or that he never truly came back to life again after the crucifixion. Don’t believe these things for a moment!
Still, Jesus wants us to know what other people are thinking: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” In this way, Jesus prepares us to answer his most important question, “Who do YOU say that I am?” Peter professed his faith in Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” So must we!
Jesus gave Peter and the apostles the responsibility to pass on that same faith in him. Their successors, the pope and our bishops, myself included, have proclaimed down to our own generation that Jesus died and then rose again from the dead. The Resurrection proves that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Our Church keeps this belief and other essential truths of our faith alive for us. We can either rely on what the Church teaches about Jesus, or we can begin to follow false prophets.
Here I need to add that Jesus promised to give to the Church the Holy Spirit who would teach us everything and remind us of all that he told us (see John 14:26). He didn’t make the same promise to television directors and magazine editors. No. He told Peter and his successors, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” Then he handed over to Peter and his successors the keys to bind or loose, to permit or to prohibit, to open or to close.
In the end, we must make a decision for ourselves and answer the question that Jesus puts to us as individual disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”
We say to Jesus with the faith of Saint Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”