Homily on the Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul

The Question That Matters: Who Is Jesus To You?

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, June 29, 2025

After his emergence on the public scene, Jesus travelled with his disciples to the region of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way, Jesus conducts an opinion poll about himself. He asks his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13; Mark 8:27) The disciples did not waste time giving answers, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matt. 13:14). The answer given by his disciples is the general public's wide range of opinions about Jesus. And if we were to take a public opinion poll today about who Jesus is, we would hear “prophet, teacher, good man, wise man, guru, crazy man, philosopher, etc. 

Having heard the results of his opinion poll, Jesus turns to his inner circle, the Twelve, and asks, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter speaks, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter could have said, “You are the Messiah,” that is, “the anointed one” who would gather the tribes of Israel, cleanse the temple, and defeat Israel’s enemies; but he added that astonishing phrase, “Son of the living God.” So, even at the early stage of Jesus’ public ministry, Peter knew that Jesus was much more than a prophet or rabbi, or seer. He knew there was something qualitatively different about his Master. Responding to Peter’s amazing confession, Jesus makes one of the most extraordinary declarations in the New Testament: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Neither the crowds nor the aristocrats knew who Jesus was— only Peter knew. And Peter knew not so much from his intelligence or from the great education he had. Peter wasn’t well educated. He was a small business owner and a fisherman. His knowledge of Jesus is purely a gift from God, a special charism of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift, given only to the head of the Twelve, Jesus called Simon by a new name: in Aramaic Cephas (rock or rocky), translated in Greek as Petros and in English as Peter. 

Now, it is important to note that Jesus did not ask what people thought of his teaching or what impression he was making. His question is about his true identity— Who do people say that I am? By the way, no other religious figure focused on himself. Buddha said there is a way that I discovered, and I want you to know it. Muhammad did not focus on himself. He said there is a revelation I received, and I want you to know it. Confucius did not talk about himself, but about the path he found. As for Jesus, he asks, “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” To answer Jesus’ first question is easy. It does not require a personal experience of Jesus to answer it. The reading of the Bible, the hearing of the good news, meditation, prayers, Mass attendance, participating in the sacraments, membership of the Church, lively faith, pursuit of holiness, working for peace and justice, practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, etc. are not needed to answer it. A person does not necessarily need to have an ongoing relationship with Jesus to attempt to answer it. To answer it, what a person needs is to simply look around and listen to public opinion, to gossip, to what people are saying about Jesus. But to be able to answer the second question, one must look inward, listen to a completely different voice, a voice that is not of flesh and blood but that of the heavenly Father. The answer we give to Jesus’ second question will be determined by how each of us relates to him. Is Jesus someone you make time to visit and speak to in prayer? Is he worth your time on Sunday, on Holy Days of Obligation, and even during the week? Is he someone you can trust? Does he deserve your love? Is Jesus worth falling in love with? Do you see him as someone whose love and compassion for you are exceedingly profound and whose forgiveness for you is matchless? Do you see Jesus as someone who has the authority to tell you how to live, what to do, what not to do, how to relate with others, and how to honor God? Is Jesus your numero uno? Is he someone you are enthusiastically looking forward to spending eternity with? If you haven’t been in touch with him, do you miss him? And do you think he misses you?

God bless you!