“But who do you say that I am?”

​

Arriving in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus puts a question to his disciples "Who do you say that I am?" The location is significant. It was there that Herod the Great had built a temple dedicated to the Emperor Augustus, the first Emperor of the Roman Empire, who styled himself as “Son of the Divine.” 

Against this backdrop of Roman power and might, Peter declares Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He identifies Jesus as the anointed one, the Messiah, the promised deliverer of God’s people. Jesus, in turn, praises Peter for this recognition, hailing him as the “rock” on which “I will build my Church.” 

Yet, Jesus’ messiahship is very different to Caesar’s rule. The true “Son of the living God” walks unarmed into Caesarea Philippi, surrounded by ordinary people. He does not coerce or intimidate, but comes to show the justice, compassion and mercy of God’s kingdom. 

The question “But who do you say I am?” is a  question that gets to the heart of our faith. When we claim Jesus as Messiah, we seek to follow a King whose throne was a cross and to embrace his way of self-giving love, generosity and peace. ​

​

Holy God, as we proclaim that Jesus is the Christ, help us to follow his way of service and love so that our lives may reveal your reign of justice and joy. Amen.

​

Reflection by Caroline Stanton of CAFOD's Theology team.

​

No Gospel text has been scrutinised more carefully than this one, because it describes Jesus founding a church, and giving primacy to Peter. Imagine being that setting, under the cliff-face in Caesarea Philippi, as Jesus asks his momentous question: "Who do you say that I am?"

Suddenly the dimensions of his mission expand. He is handing over to us (the ecclesia, or people of God) the task of continuing his mission. We are not, as is sometimes phrased, 'followers of the church'. We are the church, served by bishops and others, but with our own wisdom.

​

Notice the big change in this conversation of Jesus with Peter. No longer would the law of the Jewish scriptures be the norm; the new community with its leader, Peter, could decide on what of the law could be retained and what could be loosened.

 

Immediately Jesus speaks of his own suffering and death. Is this not a positive statement that the person of Jesus, not the law of the past, would be the centre of the new community? The words of Jesus are important because they are the Word of God, Jesus Christ, present now in his new community.

​

Peter's faith, like ours, is a gift. His belief in Jesus has been revealed from above. Faith in God is the rock on which the rest of Jesus' community will stand, and this rock is what our faith stands on. Peter, and now the church, opens the door of the revelation of God to God's people and to the world. During our lives, our faith can grow, develop or get stuck.

 

Many people seem to try to live from a faith that has not grown since their schooldays. Some continue to pray in a way that is too simple for the complexities of life, or live with an image of a fearful and punishing God. Instead of growing in faith, there are many who have given up faith in a false God, false ways of prayer, and simplistic answers to big questions. Faith is a gift that needs nourishing. The God of Jesus Christ is the living God and the God who loves all that lives, the One we meet in prayer.

​

SacredSpace

To pray is to make our hearts ready to experience the love of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Praying regularly will help us to develop a spiritual rhythm. A discipline of prayer changes the way that we think about our lives, because it creates new habits of heart and mind. Prayer opens us more deeply to the transforming grace of God. We enter into God’s presence, allowing the Holy Spirit to pray in us.

​

Prayer is simply a personal, heart-to-heart conversation with God. Find a quiet place, eliminate distractions, and speak openly using your own words.

​

Keep it Simple: Speak as if you are talking to a close friend and share what is currently on your mind or weighing on your heart. 

​

Listen: Prayer is a two-way dialogue. Take time to sit in silence and reflect after you speak, allowing space for God to guide you.

2026 marks the 800th anniversary of St Francis of Assisi's death in 1226.

Pope Leo XIV declared that it will be a special Year of St Francis in which we are all called to become saints in our world, following St Francis' example. We are called to model a holiness of life and witness to peace

 

Pope Leo has said:

"This Year of St Francis spurs all of us, each according to our possibilities to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of Christ... may the hope that has seen us as pilgrims now be transformed into zeal and fervour of active charity."

​

The Holy Father has offered this prayer for the occasion:

​

Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago
went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,
intercede for us before the Lord.

You recognised true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano,
teach us to seek in Him the source of all reconciliation
that breaks down every wall.

You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war
and misunderstanding,
give us the courage to build bridges
where the world raises up boundaries.

In this time afflicted by conflict and division,
intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers:
unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ.

Amen

​

Novena to St. Francis