Who Is Jesus To You?

 In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:
Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace:
"I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will call my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah.
I will clothe him with your robe, gird him with your sash, and transfer your authority to him.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one shall shut, and what he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him as a peg in a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for his father's house."
The Word of the Lord.
R/ "Thanks be to God"

From the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
"For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?"
"Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?"
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Word of the Lord.
R/ "Thanks be to God"

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew:
At that time, when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "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."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
The Gospel of the Lord.

R/ "Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ"

    Well, I think of Peter here, and it often prompts me to ask people HOW they think of Jesus— because their experience of Him depends on that answer.
    Personally, that's how I speak about WHO Jesus is to me: depending on my answer, so goes my experience of Him.
    Suppose I say something like... "Jesus is a friend."
In that case, I visit him occasionally, I have some degree of trust, and when I need a favor, I ask for it.
    Now, lets look at the saints and their way of responding to that question.
    For example, Teresa of Ávila said that Jesus was her spouse, her lover, her beloved. So for her, all day was spent with Jesus, always with Jesus, everything was done in the name of Jesus, and her relationship with Jesus was very intimate.

    Why do I bring this up? Because today is a very special day to ask ourselves: Who is Jesus to ME?

"Oh, he is my savior," some will say.
Ah, well, then I sin, and when I need him, I call him to forgive me.
"He is my friend," says another.
Okay, sometimes I get angry, sometimes I am pleased, and when I need a favor, I call him knowing he is there when He can be and when I want it.

    But do you see where this is going?
    I see it everyday as a priest... I believe that what we often lack as Christians is a deeper answer, because Jesus has to be everything for us.
    Not just a pal, or relief valve, or even savior.
    We need to go further and make Him everything for us. It is then we try to do our very best for him. It is then that you'll try to follow his message to the letter. It is then you'll try to do or imitate what He did for us.

    Today is a day when we must ask ourselves: "Across my entire life and salvation history: Who is Jesus to me?"

    And let us not answer only what we were taught in catechism or Sunday school.
"The friend who stays with us" — that's not just a friend; he is more than a friend.
"A brother" — he is a brother, but he is more than a brother.
"He is our savior" — yes, but he is more.

    You see, in that way we are really just acknowledging the characteristics of Jesus. We are naming His characteristics....
"Jesus is my friend" — a very poor definition.
"He is my brother" — okay, but brothers also abandon, betray, and deceive each other.
"He is my savior" — yes, but that is used as a kind of bargaining chip to keep going.

    On the other hand, when do we say, "He is my everything..." and really mean it?

    The saints defined him that way: the spouse, the lover. That is, the one with whom I feel in love, flattered, and whom I feel I must imitate. He is the Master to imitate and follow. When I have a beloved Master to follow, I always want to be with him, listen to him, imitate him, and do everything he tells me or does. That is the Jesus we need.

    That passion and strength are deeply missing in us as Catholics and Christians. It has to be — and I may sound a little out of line — a God for whom one would give their life, for whom one would want to die just to be with him. Not saying that because you've been taught to say it – but to embrace it.
    Similar to the extreme of some religions where their God is everything to them, we must allow God to bring us to the extreme of what a life in Christ represents for us. We have heard a thousand times in life that moderation in all things is good..., except our relationship with God — and especially with Jesus.

That must be extreme.
That must not be in moderation.

    When the relationship is that intimate, I don't have to wait for someone to die, get married, or be baptized to go to church, to Mass.
    When the relationship is that close, I don't have to wait to be chosen as a coordinator or appointed as a servant to be an example to the community.
    When the relationship is that close, I don't have to wait for a miracle in my life to perform a miracle for others.
It is enough just to hear his Word; it is enough just to know he is present in the Eucharist for me to be with him day and night.

    That is what we find in today's Gospel and readings: that kind of passion.

    Today we have many religions, we have religious people galor - but very little spirituality.
    Retreats, praise concerts, worship conventions of all kinds are everywhere, for example. We have an array of ministries and retreats: one-day, three-day, silent, weeping, for post-abortion, for infidelity, for drugs — an enormous range. But are we distracted by these things so that we have less and less passion for that man named Jesus. That is what we are called to rescue today: that passion and love for Jesus of Nazareth.

    It is not enough to dance, sing, be warm and glowing with the Spirit... I see it all the time...
    People return from these retreats, or concerts, or conventions sounding so converted, yet they don't act like saints. We lack the passion that brings us closer to Jesus to imitate and follow him - first. Let us ask God to help us understand his Word and realize that whatever we answer about who Jesus is in our life, that is what we are called to live.
    As the saints said, he must be "my God and my all.... everything with God, nothing without Him."
    Teresa of Ávila said, "...as the days pass and the more I read, the more I fall in love with him, the closer my relationship becomes." So take heart, and let us improve that relationship so it becomes closer with Jesus, who should be everything to us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. May Almighty God bless you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

---

Study Guide: Passionate Discipleship and the Identity of Christ

Key Scripture Passages

• Isaiah 22:19-23: The transfer of authority from Shebna to Eliakim, prefiguring papal and administrative authority ("key of the House of David").

• Romans 11:33-36: A hymn of praise to the unsearchable wisdom, knowledge, and sovereignty of God.

• Matthew 16:13-20: Peter’s exclamation at Caesarea Philippi ("You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!") and Christ establishing His Church upon Peter.

Core Theological Themes

• The Question of Personal Identity: Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?" Our experience of faith directly reflects how we personally define Jesus.

• Beyond Surface Titles: Viewing Jesus merely as a "friend," "brother," "savior," etc., yields a transactional faith (calling on Him only when convenient).

• Christ as "Everything": Drawing from mystical theology (e.g., St. Teresa of Ávila), the ideal relationship with Christ is spouse-like, passionate, and all-consuming.

• Authentic Spirituality vs. Religious Routines: External religious activities (retreats, group movements, "warm and fuzzy" emotional experiences) are meaningless without true internal conversion and imitation of Christ.

Reflection Questions

1. How would I answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" beyond catechism or Sunday school definitions?

2. Do I tend to reach out to God only during life milestones, trials, or when seeking favors?

3. What practical changes can I make to move from passive religious participation to a daily, intimate passion for Christ?

This is from a Spanish language reflection by Father Robinson Gonzalez, on his YouTube channel OxiEspiritual. You can view the original Spanish language video here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1_XfOTc7Q