Who Do Men Say That I AM?

“Who do men say that the Son of man is?”

I was rucking in the morning this week and was listening to the Gospel of Matthew. I was struck by the scene in Matthew chapter 16 where Jesus is teaching his disciples at Caesarea Phillipi. Verses 13-19 struck me in a new (to me) way, a Eucharistic way. In Matt 16:13 Jesus asks his disciples “Who do men say the Son of man is?” We’ll get to the responses in a minute but let me pose a question to you: Who or what do men say the Eucharist is?” Verse 14 continues with the disciples answering “some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” The disciples give Jesus the heads up on the local chatter about Him, the current talk around Galilee – if we continue with a Eucharistic type It may sound something like “some say a symbol of communion, a meal together that brings people together with You, a nice way to remember you.” Then Jesus follows in verse 15 with a more targeted, personal question to each disciple, to you, to me, “But who do you say that I am?” Jesus is leading the disciples, you, and I into a more uncomfortable space – one in which we must take ownership and confess what we believe about who Jesus is. Peter answers for the group, for the Church, for you and I in verse 16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

I want to pose a few questions with this scene in mind. If we believe Jesus Christ is truly present, body and blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist, do we reflect his belief in our daily and weekly lives as men? Does Sunday possess primacy in our week? A day where we worship and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. The CCC in 1324 quoting Lumen Gentium says the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” -do our liturgies reflect this reality? Section 1327 is good here as well, quoting St. Ireneas the great early Church Father, “Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking.” “Source and summit” is kind of a big deal – is that how you see your Sunday? Do we pray daily like we believe this? Do we look for opportunities during Monday to Saturday to spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist or attend a daily Mass to receive Him? If we live the belief in Matt 16:16 we probably do, if we’re living the belief over Matt 16:14 we’re probably not. I was convicted. I’m living too much 16:14 and the call, the reality is 16:16.