Peter’s Faith

“It was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you…”

Just two days ago in the gospel reading we had a chance to listen to Peter's almost childish and impetuous expression of faith. Jesus, while walking on water, calls out to the disciples, “Courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid.” Peter wants to cut his fears and doubts once and for all and shouts, “Tell me to come to you, and I will come!” Peter gets out of the boat but he doesn’t make it. He starts to sink, yelling: “Lord, save me!” Jesus pulls him out, saying: “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?” suggesting that Peter has it in him to believe. And that's what Peter shows in today's gospel reading (Matthew 16:13-23), when he speaks up for himself and for the others and all of us: “Truly, you are the Son of God!”

When Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” he is not asking them a rhetorical question. It is a real question. He wants an answer. At first they all try to dodge the issue. Jesus repeats his question. It is Simon who finally gives the answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus replies: “Simon, the son of Jonah, you are a happy man, because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” And he gives him a new name: “I now say to you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.”

Peter does not only discover the real identity of Jesus on this day; through Jesus, Peter discovers his own identity, too. Simon the fisherman discovers that he has something in him that makes him Peter. That something is the reality of God in him. The self-discovery of one’s true name and identity happens only in God (Revelation 2:17). After all, life is not a matter of creating a special name for ourselves, but of uncovering the name we have always had. As Thomas Merton says, "There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him." Finding God and finding our true self—which is letting go of our false self—are finally the same thing.

“It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without entering into ourselves” (St Teresa of Avila). Knowing our true selves and knowing God: they are one and same movement, they are one and the same thing.