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Mt 16:13-20

Jesus opens the conversation with his disciples by asking, “Who do they say is the Son of Man?” They answer with lots of names and ideas. He then asks, “Who do you say I am?” How are these two questions connected? Is Jesus suggesting that he is not the Son of Man but the Son of God? Or is he somehow needing the disciples to ground their understanding of His identity in prophetic references to the “Son of Man.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary suggests this particular reference was to Daniel.

In Robert Alter’s translation of the book of Daniel, he avoids the term Son of Man, and writes instead, “-with clouds of the heavens one like a human being was coming, and he reached the Ancient of Days, and they had him approach before Him. And to him were given dominion and honor and kingship…” Alter suggests in his footnotes that Daniel is referring perhaps to an angel. Daniel continues to explain that then comes a ruler who is different than all the rest. “-ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them, and he shall be different from those before him…”

Whether or not we use the term ‘Son of Man,’ the reference Jesus was making was certainly clear to the disciples. By referencing this prophecy, Jesus is suggesting that the context that his leadership is both different from what has come before and what is expected or assumed. 

But he doesn’t stop there. This passage is not about Jesus’ identity, as it is about the identity of those who know him. Once one knows Jesus, one is invited to interact with the world differently. It is interesting that many of the world’s major faith tradition advance the same sort of ideas about treating others with kindness, compassion. Being empathetic. 

By grounding the conversation about Jesus’ identity with the disciples to Daniel’s prophecy, and then pivoting to Peter’s role as the Rock of a new way, Jesus is drawing a line to connect the previous to the present and to the yet to be. He is also suggesting that he is that connecting line, that bridge or thread connecting it all. This is true for our own, personal timelines as well. The Lord, Jesus specifically, regardless of all the others in our lives, has been there before, during and after. And like Peter, simply understanding that reality, requires us to respond, or is at the very least an invitation. 

Journal Reflection

How has the Lord been present throughout your life? Although difficult, try to articulate your perception and intuition of the character of His presence and how it has changed.

Mt 15:21-28

I love that Jesus modeled this common moment of humanity: the moments when someone else knows you better than yourself. Or more specifically, the moments when someone calls you to do more than you intended to do. 

Now, if I were Jesus, I might have said, “Enough is enough, Lady. I’m super busy! Doing everything under the sun, and now you want me to do it for everyone under the sun. Take a number! I have to draw the line somewhere.” He does say that first, although, admittedly, he was much politer and kinder about it than we tend to be. 

But she persists!

I was recently talking to a co-worker about a plan I had that would improve communication and mutual goal setting with my team. I said it was a bit ambitious and maybe I just can’t do it for this month. The coworker looked at me and said, “Well, it’s a great idea. Of course you can pull that off.” That simple vote of confidence really struck me. Sometimes we have a different vision than someone else of ourselves or our mission or tasks. But more often than not, we have a great vision, one of which people can totally buy into, but maybe our scope is just a bit too limited. That seemed to be the case for both Jesus in this gospel reading and myself when I was talking to my coworker.

I have another coworker who works in housekeeping. She pays exquisite attention to the residents’ needs. I want her to work on my team because of that compassion and attention paying, however, she told me she does not believe herself to be extraverted enough to work in Activities. Fair enough. Just because I observe qualities that would be a great fit, doesn’t mean my vision for her is in sync with her own self-concept. However, it could be that my invitation, my encouragement to think other possibilities, could be a window opening that will let some much needed fresh air into her internal rooms. 

Jesus’ acceptance of the Canaanite woman’s vision of His mission and ministry as broader and more expansive than He was embarking on in the moment is a model for us. We too should be as open to other people’s feedback as to what and who we can be beyond our own self-reflective visions. Sometimes that vision does not change things in the moment, but it may plant seeds. In addition to pondering and occasionally accepting others’ visions of our missions, we need to speak what we see as possible for others. We need to be both Jesus and the Canaanite Woman. 

Journal Reflection 

Reflect on a time when someone shared their vision of your mission or abilities with you. 

Reflect on a time when you shared with someone else, your vision of their mission/abilities.

Reflect on whether these were invitations to a new life and new to-do lists, or whether they were calls to do ‘more of the same’ but on a wider playing field. 

Mt 14:22-33

A Scottish band, Skippinish, from the Outer Hebrides sings a song whose lyrics are as follows…

I’ve been walking… 

walking these shores all my days,

but with you by my side

I am walking on the waves. 

While I can’t find specific references to where exactly Peter generally fished, I am guessing that Peter, well, he had been walking those shores and working those waters or the waters in that area of the world all the days of his life. 

The Lord, well, He invites Peter to join Him on the other side of them wild waves. Impulsive, affectionate Peter is suddenly walking on the waves! But because he’s been traveling and fishing them waters, he knows walking on ‘em aint overly smart. He knows its impossible…

He knows these waters… Not just that a human shouldn’t be walking on the water, but those waters… where they break, where they swell, the eddies, the sand bars, the shallows, the tides, where the fish rest, where they eat, where a boat could get hung up in weeds…

And in the middle of a storm! Just you never mind! Peter knows how a storm can instantly alter wind and water, how it can disorientate and confuse a man, how it can yank and toss and throw and upheave.

If he had been somewhere he had not been before, a foreign but serene lake in New Hampshire perhaps, he might not have doubted his ability to do the impossible, or the Lord’s ability to help him do the inconceivable… but he knew them waters and them storms! Peter knew that the gulf between the task and his ability, with worldly dangers thrown in for good measure, was just too big.

Was Peter lacking in faith in the Lord’s ability to save him? Was he lacking faith that the gulf between what was and what could be was too great to overcome? Or was he lacking faith that he understood the situation correctly— that somehow he was actually chosen by the Lord to be a part of such a miracle?

How often could we partner with the Lord to perform a miracle, except we know them waters and the dangers of the storms just too darn well?

Reflection Questions

What do you know so well that your knowledge and preconceived notions could be interrupting a miracle? 

After listening to the song I mentioned above, jot down some of your thoughts and feelings. Does it give you new insight about this passage? Does any aspect of it remind you of your relationship with the Lord. (YouTube: Skippinnish//Walking On the Waves)

Matthew 17: 1-9

While many cultures respect and show regard for their ancestors and some early civilizations were thought to have worshipped them, we generally do not tend to perceive moments where the past and present have blended together. However, on mountain high, Jesus chit chats with Elijah and Moses, both ancient figures no longer ‘alive’. In addition, the description of the Jesus that Peter saw was very similar to descriptions of the Risen Lord, an event which has not yet occurred. So, in this way, Peter was witnessing the coming together of, the blending of, the co-existence of the past, present and future.

We call this event the Transfiguration and it may be easy to get swept up in notions of Jesus’ figure ‘crossing over’ to the spiritual world and changing in appearance, but the alteration may not be the central theme. According to the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, because the idea of metamorphosis in classical paganism is very prevalent, the term and concept is avoided in the passage and the commentaries. The pivotal concept is that “Jesus becomes a being of light.” Both the Paulist Commentary and St Jerome’s indicate that the event is a prequel to the Resurrection. 

The Paulist Commentary points out that God interrupts Peter, thereby suggesting that Peter is being silly and foolish. However, St Jerome’s Biblical Commentary indicates that Peter’s concept of building of three tents is a reference to the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, which places the event in a liturgical setting. Peter is the Rock of the church and liturgy, specifically, the Eucharistic liturgy is the heart of the Church, the Body of Christ.  This idea is compelling to me because I can’t hear the word ‘Transfiguration’ without thinking about ‘Transubstantiation.’ 

I believe, with all the references and suggestions of the gospel passages related to the Transfiguration, we cannot help but connect it to Transubstantiation. In my experience, when I partake in the Eucharist, when the Transubstantiation of the Lord has taken place, I can’t help but sense a light, a joy, a ‘lightness.’ ‘My yoke is easy; my burden light.’ And going forth, bearing the light of Christ, bringing it to those we encounter throughout the week is a light burden, is it not? After all, light weighs nothing.

Journal Exploration

Recall three times, when you really noticed ‘light’ as somehow extraordinary; include contextual details of the event as well. Write a concluding paragraph drawing on patterns and threads of the three events. What might the Lord have been communicating to you through these ‘extraordinary light’ events? 

1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Mt 13:44-52

My sister and I just got back from a trip to Scotland. There was a day towards the end of the trip when we were visiting a tourist spot, and I was talking to the tour guide about all the wonderful and amazing archaeology we had seen. I said, “Well. You’ve not yet shown me a crannog. I think that’s the only thing on my archaeology bucket list, I’ve yet to see.” We parted company, both laughing, and I began to walk to whatever I was supposed to be looking at. I saw a few college-aged people with suitcases and other luggage. 

“Hey, that looks like some equipment. What are y’all up to?” Nosey, over-friendly American, right? 

Anyways, one of the women turns to me and says, “We are archaeology PhD candidates from — University.” 

I reply, “That’s wonderful, I love archaeology! What are you digging for?” Turns out their site, a few miles away at a lake, was a crannog! She told me all about it! 

There are many more of these sort of magical moments each day, when we don’t get what we ask for, we get something way, way better than we could have even imagined. That’s why the Lord likes us to ask. By actually articulating for ourselves what we are hoping for, we are more apt to notice when He provides much much more!

The gospel reading presents an added detail to the same idea; these parables are very much about the game of Hide and Seek. For the seeking to be fun and rewarding, we can’t have that which we are seeking at the outset. There are times, like when we are playing the game with young people, that we have to actually make that which is to be found, disappear before we begin. We tend to get sad when we ‘lose’ people or things or abilities, but we need to if we are to discover the new and better gifts the Lord wants to give to us. Just like a game of Hide and Seek. 

Once, when I attended an orientation to a new job, the director of the facility stated his customer service motto, “The expectation is that you exceed expectations…” I think it’s the Lord’s motto, too!

Reflection Questions

• For 3 to 5 days, list out what you want from the Lord. On paper. A bullet list is fine. Put it away. 
• After a week or more, pull out the list. Reflect on each thing that you asked for. How did the Lord answer your prayer? 
• Alternatively, if you keep a daily journal, in which you converse with the Lord, review some old entries with a mind towards discovering how the Lord has answered your prayers.