REFLECTIONS TODAY It is obvious that the more we stay close to or live with another person, the more we know him/her better. The circle of the Twelve apostles was the privileged group to have lived with or accompanied Jesus in his mission. In the Gospels, from the words that come from Jesus’ mouth, the stories that he tells them, and the miraculous deeds that he performs (healing the sick, driving out demons, cleansing lepers, etc.), we would expect them to have a deeper knowledge of who he is. And yet, we know, of course, that even Jesus himself wonders at how slow his disciples are getting his message. Still, someone like Peter (with James and John) who seems to have been with Jesus more frequently would know him a bit more. Peter categorically responds to Jesus’ question of who he is to them, that he is the Christ of God, the Anointed of God. While we know that Peter is a vacillating person, his confession seems very straightforward and born of deep conviction, a grace of a deeper knowledge of Jesus. This is what we all desire to have.

GOSPEL • LUKE 9:18-22

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.”  He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “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.” SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.