Fr Gerry O'Shaughnessy SDB reflects on the Gospel for 21st Sunday of the year, (Mt 16: 13-20), considering our human weaknesses, and the beauty of our strength as we reach out together to others, in a spirit of building up the family of our Church. Image: Gabriel Ippoliti, published in La Nación, 2013

Solid and good drama needs its heroes and villains: from the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham or the Wicked Queen, to the good Cinderella or Robin Hood. In movies or on the stage we see these extremes; we can cheer on the goodie and strongly 'boo' the baddie to our hearts content. In the stone cold sober light of day, most of us are mixtures of the extremes of good and bad. One day we can be the brilliant hero doing amazing things without the cape and mask, the next we can make mistakes, causing upset and pain for others, especially those we care about. This is who we are and the great and solid presentation of our first pope, St Peter shows this to be the case. Over the next two weeks we are going to see Peter in all his 'warts and all' glory.

Today Jesus is seen in the pagan city of Caesarea Philippi -he has broken out of the comfortable Jewish 'bubble' that Matthew generally sees Jesus in. Due to the celebration of the Feast of Mary last Sunday we missed out on the Sunday reading which sees Jesus with the Canaanite woman, a woman outside that close bubble of faith. She is looking for a cure not for herself, but her child and she doesn't care what she says or does: her daughter is her only concern-Jesus reaches out to her, as Mathew presents Jesus as showing his trademark compassion for ALL.

This week perhaps Jesus and his friends are having a day out, something we have all become accustomed to during this time of 'staycation' perhaps they were looking around the great city, perhaps they were playing the tourist for the day. It is in this relaxed atmosphere that Jesus asks the ultimate question: "who do people say that I am?" Jesus is doing more than gathering a focus group to assess his popularity. It is an opportunity to express their faith in Jesus and his Ministry; however, they hedge their bets and tell him that the people think he is John the a Baptist or one of the great prophets. That is fair enough: we can all repeat the gossip and tales of others, but there comes a time when we have to make a personal commitment. Jesus wants to hear their commitment: what do YOU say?

It is Peter who jumps in immediately and affirms Jesus as "the Christ, the son of the living God." Each must make a personal answer to Our Lord's question: "Who do you say that I am?' although Peter's credo is a solid basis from which to begin. Notice the beautiful phrase: "Son of the Living God," expressing more richly what "Christ" means. Peter, the impulsive and hardworking fisherman from Galilee, has left his job, wife and family at home to follow Jesus unconditionally. His acclamation of faith prompts Jesus to see this very ordinary man, with his strengths and weaknesses, to be the ROCK on which the Church will be built. Peter will be that support, the pastor, the preacher and the carer to this growing community. He is the somewhat 'wobbly rock' that our Church is built on; his faith gives us the courage to move forward in our own strength and weakness. We move forward, guided by God, as a very human Church. A brief look into our history will show that human weakness all too well, as well as the beauty of our human strength. The response to the pandemic and the horror of the explosion in Beirut shows us the best of the Church, as we work TOGETHER to ensure that the pastoral mission of Peter continues.

Our Gospel ends today on the note of forgiveness, essential for any progress in ministry. Jesus teaches Peter and his disciples that the ROCK that is the Church must be rooted in forgiveness. All of us have experienced hurt, rejection and anger at the hands of others-today is the challenge to offer a hand of forgiveness to them in a spirit of building up our family that is the Church. No one will say it is going to be easy or everyone will be happy, but that is the challenge of being a follower of Jesus and the 'wobbly rock' that is our first Pope. Can you be a real agent of forgiveness and care this week?