Who do you say that I am?

[21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A, August 24, 2014 / Isa 22:19-23, Ps 138:1-2a, 2b-3, 6+8,  Rom 11:33-36, Matt 16:13-20]

Its quiz time and Jesus is asking the questions to his disciples. He starts off doing an informal survey—“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Wow, four answers and they are all wrong! If you did a similar informal survey today and asked about the Church or what is faith you may also get many wrong answers. Some would talk about rules and regulations, others might talk about the buildings (forgetting that we are the Church!) In his message for the World Youth Day 2011, Pope Benedict XVI stated “we see a certain ‘eclipse of God’ taking place, a kind of amnesia which, albeit not an outright rejection of Christianity, is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that could lead to the loss of our deepest identity” (Message for the 2011 World Youth Day, 1). What is the problem? Or what is the solution? We need to encounter Christ, to have that personal experience of him.