Today, the liturgy offers us several points for reflection. Among them, we might pause to consider something that runs quietly through the entire passage: Jesus’ familiar, intimate way of being with His own.

St. Matthew tells us that “Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee” (Mt 17:22). At first glance, it might seem like a minor detail—but the simple mention that they were “together” reveals the evangelist’s desire to highlight Christ’s closeness to His disciples. Then Jesus opens His Heart to them, sharing the path of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection—something He carries deep within Himself, something He doesn’t want those He loves so much to be unaware of. Immediately afterward, we read the episode about the temple tax. Here too, the evangelist gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ way of relating—placing Himself on the same level as Peter. He draws a distinction between the “sons” (Jesus and Peter), who are free from the tax, and the “others” who are obliged to pay. And then, with remarkable gentleness, Jesus shows Peter how to obtain the money—not just to cover His own payment, but for both of them—so as not to become a cause of scandal.

In all of these moments, we discover something fundamental to the Christian life: Jesus’ deep desire to be with us. As the Lord says in the Book of Proverbs: “Playing over the whole of his earth, having my delight with human beings” (Prov 8:31). How this changes our whole approach to the spiritual life! So often, we place the focus entirely on what we are doing, as if our efforts were what mattered most. But the interior life must center on Christ—on His love for us, on His total self-gift, even unto death for me, on His tireless pursuit of our hearts. Saint John Paul II captured this beautifully in one of his encounters with young people. The Pope cried out with strength and clarity: “Look to Him!”