When we were kids, we didn’t choose our names; our parents did. They introduced us to our names and taught us how to say them, and through this, our identity began to form. But, my friends, is it enough that our friends, classmates, or acquaintances know our names? How do we really introduce ourselves? One way is through our actions towards others. When I was in elementary school, I didn’t like the first day of the class because it felt different. But despite my feelings, there was one part of the day I always paid attention to: the “introduce yourself” moment when we were asked to say our names. However, just sharing our names isn’t enough for people to truly know us.
In today’s gospel, it is mentioned that Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ.” He was inviting his disciples to reflect on their own understanding of him. Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,” a statement filled with hope and expectation. But shortly after, Jesus began to explain the suffering and sacrifice that waited for him.
When Peter answered the question of Jesus to him, he didn’t just response for no reason. He answered Jesus because he experienced and witnessed the miracles of Jesus along the way. Peter and the other disciples are not making up stories about Jesus being the son of God. They were proclaiming that Jesus was divine because of his actions. He is the Messiah because Jesus, on his journey, is proving it as well.
Brothers and sisters. As we progress in our lives, we should also be confident in ourselves because we should prove to ourselves that we can do things. Yes, it will be difficult, and we can expect to struggle a lot, but it will always start with ourselves. We should persevere in doing our best to prove ourselves so that we can also be an inspiration to our neighbors. As what fr. Jasper said, “There are possibilities in all difficulties.” Jesus proved himself to us, and so we are now sharing all the good news about him. Now, it is our turn to let us prove ourselves to others and be an inspiration to our brothers and sisters.
