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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Sunday 12th (C) in Ordinary Time
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Gospel text (Lk 9,18-24): One day, when Jesus was praying alone, not far from his disciples, He asked them, «What do people say about me?». And they answered, «Some say that you are John the Baptist; others say that you are Elijah, and still others that you are one of the former prophets risen from the dead». Again Jesus asked them, «Who then do you say I am?». Peter answered, «The Messiah of God». Then Jesus spoke to them, giving them strict orders not to tell this to anyone (…).

Jesus, the Christ of God; the Holy One of God, the Son of the living God

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, this is how it still is: many people draw near to Jesus, as it were, from the outside. Great scholars recognize his spiritual and moral stature and his influence on human history, comparing him to Buddha, Confucius, Socrates and other wise and important historical figures. Yet they do not manage to recognize him in his uniqueness (God and Man).

Jesus is often also considered as one of the great founders of a religion from which everyone may take something in order to form his or her own conviction. Today too, "people" have different opinions about Jesus, just as they did then. And as he did then, Jesus also repeats his question to us, his disciples today: "And who do you say that I am?".

—Let us make Peter's answer our own: "You are the Christ" (Mk 8:29); "The Christ of God" (Lk 9:20); "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16); "the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:69). These are all correct answers which are also right for us.