REFLECTION:

At our last priests' retreat, one of the talks given by the retreat master was on "Intimate Knowledge." He posed a simple yet profound question: "How well do you know Jesus—not just intellectually, but intimately?" It caught my attention because, as priests, we spend much of our lives preaching about Jesus, celebrating the sacraments, and teaching the faith. Yet it is possible to know many things about Jesus without truly knowing Him personally.

The same can be true for all of us. We may know the stories of the Gospel, attend Mass every Sunday, recite our prayers, and even serve in ministry. We know the answers from the Catechism. We know the prayers by heart. We know what the Church teaches. But knowing about Jesus is very different from knowing Jesus. One is information; the other is relationship.

That is precisely the question Jesus asks His disciples in today's Gospel. He first asks, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The disciples quickly respond with what they have heard from others: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. They are simply repeating the opinions of the crowd. Then Jesus changes the question. "But who do you say that I am?"

Suddenly, the conversation is no longer about what everyone else believes. It becomes deeply personal.

I think many of us begin our journey of faith by borrowing it from someone else. As children, we believe because our parents brought us to church. We learned to pray because our grandparents folded our hands and taught us the Sign of the Cross. We went to Mass because our family went to Mass. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that is how faith often begins. But faith cannot remain borrowed forever.

There comes a time when each of us must answer Jesus' question for ourselves. Not, "Who does my spouse say Jesus is?" Not, "Who does my pastor say Jesus is?" Not even, "What does the Catholic Church teach about Jesus?" Those are important, but Jesus is asking something much deeper. Who is Jesus to you?

Can you say, as Peter did, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"?

Peter's answer did not come from repeating what someone else had said. Jesus tells him, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." Peter's confession flowed from a relationship that had been formed by walking with Jesus, listening to Him, watching Him, struggling with Him, and allowing his heart to be transformed. His faith had become personal.

Perhaps that is one of the greatest challenges facing the Church today. We live in a world where it is easy to know about Jesus through podcasts, YouTube videos, social media, books, and even artificial intelligence. Information about Christ has never been more accessible. Yet information alone does not create disciples. A relationship does.

As a priest, I occasionally hear someone say, "Father, I was raised Catholic." I always rejoice in hearing that. But the more important question is not whether you were raised Catholic. The more important question is: Are you walking with Christ today? Our relationship with Jesus cannot survive on yesterday's faith or someone else's experience. It must be renewed each day through prayer, the Eucharist, Sacred Scripture, the sacraments, and the daily decision to follow Him.

Today's feast also reminds us of Peter's journey. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is imprisoned, chained, and guarded by soldiers. Yet the Lord sends an angel to free him because Peter still has a mission to fulfill. The same Peter who boldly professed his faith in today's Gospel is now living that faith under persecution. His confession was not merely words; it became the foundation of his life.

Jesus asks each of us today the very same question He asked Peter at Caesarea Philippi: "But who do you say that I am?"

He is not asking because He needs the answer. He already knows our hearts. He asks because our answer reveals the depth of our relationship with Him.

May our faith never remain something we simply inherited, borrowed, or repeated from others. Instead, may it become a living, personal, and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. For when faith becomes personal, it becomes transformational. And when we truly know Christ—not just with our minds, but with our hearts—we can face every challenge with the same confidence as Peter, knowing that the One we profess is also the One who walks beside us.