Jesus went with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea. Along the way, He asked them, “Who do men say that I am?” (Mark 8:27) The apostles, with simplicity, started telling Him what people were saying. Some say You are “John the Baptist, others, Elias and others one of the prophets” (Mark 8:28). Indeed, there were many different rumors about Jesus.
Now Jesus turns to His followers, with openness—how about them? “Who do you say that I am?” (v. 29)
He is not asking them for just one opinion more. He is asking for faith. After having spent so much time with Him, they ought to know who He is, without any hesitation. And Peter immediately answers, “You are the Christ.”
The Lord is also asking from us a clear confession of our faith, in the midst of a world where confusion, ignorance and error seem to be the normal thing. Who do you say Jesus is? Who is Jesus for you?
Our faith in Jesus moves us to have a close and intimate union with Christ, starting from our Baptism. It is a communion of life that is much deeper than we could ever have with any other human being.
Just as the hand united to the body is filled with the life of the whole body, so is the Christian filled with the life of Christ. Christ Himself taught this to us in a beautiful imagery—“I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:15).
This union with Jesus is so strong that if a Christian truly strives to be holy, he can even say with Saint Paul, “It is no longer I that lives, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
This closeness to Christ, like that of the apostles, should fill us with joy. If we form part of Christ’s mystical body, then we share in everything that Christ does.
After Peter’s answer, Jesus explained to them that he had to suffer and die, he had to offer the sacrifice of the cross.
As members of Christ, we also share in this sacrifice. To be truly united to Christ, we have to be united to the cross.
We share in Christ’s cross, especially at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
In each Mass, Christ offers Himself, together with the whole Church. We, the faithful, participate in the Mass above all as “offerers “ and as “offering.” It is the Mass that we enjoy the greatest possible union with Christ on earth. So if we attend the Mass well, it should change our lives for the better.
And you, “Who do you say that I am?” In the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we get to know Christ well. There, our faith becomes more firm, and we strengthen ourselves to confess Christ openly—that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God who came to earth for the salvation of all men.