Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thử hỏi, nếu Chúa Giêsu cũng hỏi chúng cùng một câu hỏi “còn các con, các bảo Thầy là ai?”, có lẽ chúng ta sẽ trả lời: “Thầy là Đức Chúa Trời, là Đức Chúa Con, là Ngôi Lời nhập thể làm người, là Đấng Tạo Hóa và Đấng Cứu Thế của chúng con, là Con một của Chúa Cha, là Chúa Đức Kitô, và là Thiên Chúa thật cũng là người thật ”. Không giống như các tông đồ trong thời của Chúa, bổn phận chính của chúng ta bây giờ là phải rao truyền tất cả những điều ấy tới tất cả mọi người để họ cùng nhận biết Chúa. Các tông đồ đã không chắc chắn Chúa Giêsu là ai. Họ biết được Ngài là ai, là Đấng nào sau khi chứng kiến cái chết và sự phục sinh của Người. Tất cả các tông đồ, trừ Thánh Gioan đã chết một cái chết vì đạo như Chúa Giêsu.
Bây giờ chúng ta thực sự đã biết Chúa Giêsu là ai. Cuộc sống, cái chết và sự sống lại của Ngài đã chứng minh cho chúng ta. Chúng ta được chúc phúc vì Thiên Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta những ân sủng để chúng ta biết điều này. Chúng ta cẩn phải nhận ra tầm quan trọng về những kiến thức này cho chúng ta; sự sống đời đời của chúng ta đều phụ thuộc vào những kiến thức đấy.
Chúng ta phải biết rằng "từ nguyên thuỷ (khởi đầu) đã có Ngôi Lời, Ngôi Lời ở trong Thiên Chúa, và Ngôi Lời là Thiên Chúa;. Ngài đã ở cùng Thiên Chúa. Và qua Ngài mà tất cả mọi sự đã được thực hiện và Mọi sự đã nhờ Ngài mà thành sự và không Ngài thì không gì đã thành sự." (Ga 1: 1-3)
Dự định ban đầu của Thiên Chúa là ban sự sống đời đời cho con người chúng ta , nhưng vì sự bất tuân và niềm tự hào của con người, của tổ phụ con người cúng ta là Adong và Eva mà cúng ta đã đánh mất cái quyền lợi đấy. Vì vậy, để cứu rỗi cho chúng ta, Ngôi Lời đã trở nên Con Người phàm tục như chúng ta và Ngài đã sống giữa chúng ta, để chuộc lại cho chúng ta sự sống đời đời mà đã bị mất.
Chúng ta biết rằng Chúa Kitô đã chịu đau khổ và chịu chết trên thập giá cho chúng ta để chúng ta đạt được ơn cứu chuộc này. Chúng ta phải rao truyền tất cả những gì mà chúng ta đã biết được cho tất cả mọi người để họ sẽ không bị từ chối cuộc sống vĩnh cửu mà Đức Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã cứu chuộc cho chúng ta.
Today's Catholics, if asked the same question by Jesus, would probably answer: "God, God the Son, Our Creator, Our Lord and Savior, Our Redeemer, the Word Made Flesh, the Only Begotten Son of the Father, the son of Mary, the Christ, true God and true Man" - for all these, he truly is. Unlike the apostles of his time, our strict instruction now is to tell this to everyone.
The apostles were not sure who Jesus was. They learned who he was only much later, after witnessing his death and resurrection, and they proclaimed who Jesus was to all the nations so that they would be saved, even at the cost of their own lives. All the apostles, except St. John, died a martyr's death. Now we know who Jesus really is. His life, death and resurrection proved this to us. We are blessed because God gave us the grace to know this. We must realize how important this knowledge is to us; our eternal life depends on it. We know that " in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing came to be." (Jn 1:1-3) God originally intended eternal life to our first parents, but because of disobedience and pride, they lost it. So for our salvation, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, in order to redeem for us the eternal life which was lost. We know that he suffered and died on the cross for us in order to achieve this redemption. We must tell what we know to everyone so that they would not reject this eternal life redeemed for us by Jesus Christ.
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” Luke 9:18–20
Today’s Gospel presents a decisive moment of revelation. As Jesus prays in solitude with the Twelve nearby, He asks, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” After hearing their responses, He turns the question more personally to them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter, speaking on behalf of the Twelve, proclaims, “The Christ of God”—the Anointed One, the long-awaited Messiah.
Though Peter is the one who speaks, it is Jesus, in His divine nature, who reveals this truth to Peter and prompts his profession of faith. Jesus could have simply announced His identity Himself, but He invites Peter to participate in this revelation through faith. Once Peter responds, Jesus immediately “rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.”
Why the secrecy? It seems counterintuitive. Shouldn’t the truth of Jesus’ identity be proclaimed far and wide? And yet, Jesus, in His divine wisdom, requires temporary silence.
That silence is explained by what follows. Jesus immediately begins to disclose the nature of His mission as Messiah: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” This was not what the disciples expected. Though the prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah, many Jews envisioned a powerful leader who would unite Israel, overthrow Roman rule, and restore the kingdom to earthly glory.
Jesus shatters that expectation. He reveals that, as the Christ, He will fulfill His mission not through conquest but through suffering, death, and resurrection. While the mention of rising on the third day may have stirred some hope, the announcement of His suffering and death would have been deeply unsettling. What’s more, in the verses immediately following today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Twelve that anyone who wishes to follow Him must also take up his cross.
One of the most quoted passages from the Prophet Isaiah speaks directly to this mystery: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).
Though this truth applies to many aspects of life, it is especially relevant to Jesus’ Passion and our participation in it. Like the Jews of that time who expected a conquering Messiah, we too can mistakenly believe that following Christ means the removal of suffering. But that is not the case. In fact, God often permits suffering because He sees the greater good it can accomplish in us and through us. Suffering has been redeemed by Christ’s Passion and now holds great power when embraced in union with Him.
Reflect today on the shocking revelation that following Christ does not mean the removal of the Cross from our lives but the opposite. Consider whether you, like many of Jesus’ disciples, have false expectations of God and your participation in His life and mission. In what ways is God calling you to carry your cross through a life marked by a greater participation in His Passion? Do you see your sufferings and crosses as obstacles to your happiness or as means to greater sanctity? God’s ways are often difficult to accept, but with time and prayer, we understand the Cross and its glorious fruit. Do not be afraid to follow the path your Messiah has prepared for you.
My suffering Lord, You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. You took on human nature, not to conquer nations or establish an earthly kingdom, but to conquer sin and death. Draw me into Your Passion, Death, and Resurrection. May I not only know who You are, but also live in union with You, taking up my cross each day and following in Your footsteps. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, Creator of all things, grant me a deep knowledge of your works and your plan of salvation. Help me to know my part and enlighten my mind to know how I can help my family, my friends, and the members of my community to know you better and love you more deeply.
1. The Christ of God: Luke introduces Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ of God by telling us that Jesus was praying in solitude. It is in this context of prayer that Jesus turns to his disciples and asks them about his identity: “Who do the crowds say that I am?” Their response echoes the speculation reported earlier by Herod. Some believe Jesus is John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets who has returned (Luke 9:7-8). Jesus then makes the question personal: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds, “The Christ of God.” The Greek word Christos means “Anointed One,” or Messiah. Peter recognizes Jesus as the one whom God has chosen and anointed to fulfill his promises to Israel. Jesus is the royal Messiah descended from David, the one whose kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:32-33). He is also the prophetic Messiah who proclaims the kingdom of God and performs mighty works. After the multiplication of the loaves, the disciples have witnessed another sign of his messianic identity. As a new Moses, Jesus provides bread for God’s people in the wilderness; as the promised Messiah, he brings the kingdom of God into their midst. Peter’s confession is therefore a moment of tremendous insight. The disciples have begun to understand who Jesus is. Yet they have not yet understood what kind of Messiah he is.
Jesus does not reject the title “Christ.” He reveals what it truly means.
3. The Way of the Cross: The word “must” is crucial: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly.” Jesus’ passion is not an unfortunate accident or an unexpected failure of his mission. His suffering, death, and resurrection belong to God’s plan of salvation. The Messiah will conquer not by avoiding suffering but by passing through it. He will establish his kingdom not through worldly power but through the sacrifice of himself. Peter has correctly identified Jesus as the Christ, but he still needs to learn that the way of Christ is the way of the cross. That lesson will become even clearer when Jesus immediately tells his disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is also our lesson. It is possible to confess Jesus as Lord while misunderstanding what it means to follow him. We may want Christ’s victory without his cross, his glory without sacrifice, and his kingdom without conversion. But the Jesus whom Peter confesses is the Jesus who gives himself for the salvation of the world. To know Jesus truly is therefore more than knowing facts about him. It means recognizing him as the Christ of God and allowing his way to become our way. The Christian life is not simply an invitation to admire Jesus. It is an invitation to follow him – through self-denial, sacrificial love, perseverance, and ultimately into the glory of the resurrection.
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” Luke 9:18
It’s interesting that Jesus was both “praying in solitude” and that “the disciples were with him.” Saint Bede explains this apparent contradiction by stating that “the Son alone is able to penetrate the incomprehensible secrets of the Father’s will.” Therefore, our Lord was always alone with the Father in the sense that only Jesus knew the Father fully and intimately. This is because He is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Eternal Son of the Father.
With that fact clearly understood, it’s also important to understand that as Jesus prayed to the Father within His human nature, something new took place. Though Jesus was eternally with the Father, His human nature was not eternally with the Father. Therefore, as the Eternal Son of God communed with the Eternal Father while living in human flesh, human nature was suddenly elevated to a height that it had never been before. Not only was the Eternal Son living in perfect union with the Father, but now the Eternal Son, fully human, brought His human nature into this oneness.
Though this may seem a bit philosophical to some, it points to a very important reality that affects us all. Through our Lord’s human prayer to the Father, we are all invited to join with Jesus and share in this divine oneness. The Son of God, as a human being, made it possible for us as humans to share in the elevation of our very lives to oneness with God the Father. And though the Son of God will always retain a unique union with the Father, we are, nonetheless, by participation, invited to share in their life.
So why is this important? One reason is that there is no greater human fulfillment we could ever achieve than to share in the prayer of the Son to the Father. Throughout our lives, we are constantly looking for fulfillment in one form or another. We want to be happy. We want enjoyment in life. We have a natural desire for happiness that we are constantly seeking to fulfill. What’s important to understand is that the greatest happiness comes by sharing in the deep human prayer of the Son to the Father. Prayer, true prayer, is the answer to our deepest desire.
Reflect, today, upon whether or not you regularly engage in deep prayer. Can you point to times when you, like our Lord, were alone with God, communing with Him in the depths of your human soul, being drawn to Him through prayer? There are many levels of prayer, as is attested to by many saints. Make the choice to deepen your prayer. Go before our Lord today and pour out your heart to Him, asking Him to draw you into the holy solitude of His prayer to the Father. Doing so will bring forth in you the deepest human satisfaction possible in life.
My praying Lord, as You spent time alone with the Father, You united Your human nature with Him, thus elevating our nature to a glorious degree. Please draw me to You, dear Lord, so that I may know You and the Father through true, deep and sustaining prayer. May this oneness with You be the cause of my deepest fulfillment in life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, Creator of all things, grant me a deep knowledge of your works and your plan of salvation. Help me to know my part and enlighten my mind to know how I can help my family, my friends, and the members of my community to know you better and love you more deeply.
1. The Christ of God: The Gospel of Luke introduces the story of Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ of God, by telling us that Jesus was praying in solitude. In this context of prayer, Jesus turns to his disciples and asks them a question about his identity: “Who do the crowds say that I am?” The disciples say that some in the crowds think that Jesus might be John the Baptist, Elijah, or another prophet brought back to life (Luke 9:7-8). This response refers back to a prophecy from Malachi, which states that Elijah the prophet would return before the day of the Lord (Malachi 3:23). Jesus then directs the question about his identity to his disciples. When Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah, it comes after the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Luke 9:10-17). This miracle contributed to the disciples’ coming to understand aspects of Jesus’ messianic identity. “Jesus as Messiah is like a new Moses who brings back the treasury of manna […]. He is a prophetic Messiah who works miracles like Elisha, who was an anointed prophet (1 Kings 19:16). He is, of course, also a kingly Messiah in the line of David (see Luke 1:32-33; 2:11). In this regard, Jesus’ preaching on the kingdom of God (4:43; 8:1, 10), mentioned again in the immediate context (9:11), is also part of his mission as a kingly Messiah” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 180).
1. Who Has Authority over Life and Death? The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes, known as Qoheleth or the Preacher, contemplates the question of the meaning of life. He ponders why human beings toil endlessly on earth for minimal gain. When a person dies the fruits of their labor merely pass to another. The Preacher teaches that the pleasures of the world do not truly fulfill us and that wealth does not bring us ultimate satisfaction. The Preacher also notes that we have no control over the timing of the end of our earthly life. “Unlike God, who appoints times of prosperity and adversity (7:14), man has no ‘authority over the day of death’ (8:8). The best he can do, says Qoheleth, is to enjoy the good things in life as much as his circumstances allow (2:24; 3:12, 22; 8:15)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon, 66).
2. God’s Plan for Creation: Qoheleth sees God as the Creator who determines all times and seasons of life (3:1-8). God's creation is beautiful and good, and, in this creation, man has a special place, for man desires something that goes beyond this life. God has placed this desire for eternity in man’s heart. No creature can satisfy us; only God can: The Lord has made us for himself and our hearts are restless until they rest in him. The gift of the desire for eternity does not include with it the gift of fully understanding God’s plan for each one of us. The latter is something that we discern little by little through the virtue of faith and the gifts of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. In this life, we really only catch a glimpse of God’s plan for creation; in the next life, we will see everything in God himself. We will see his goodness, justice, love, and mercy. We will see how he has acted in history and our lives.
3. Faith in Jesus as the Christ: In the Gospel, Simon Peter does not come to the knowledge of Jesus as the Christ on his own. It was revealed to him by God. Peter’s confession of faith is an important step in understanding God’s plan for humankind. Peter is confessing that God the Father has sent his only begotten Son as the Redeemer of man. At the same time, Peter will struggle to understand that Jesus redeems us through the Cross, through suffering, through death. After the Resurrection, Peter will confess not only his faith in Jesus but also his love for Jesus. One day, he will testify to Christ through his martyrdom in Rome. He will tell the entire world through his death that Jesus is the Christ, the one who saves us and raises us up.
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