August 24 -Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time : Who is Jesus for me?

 

First Reading         :  Isaiah 22:19-23    | God will remove Shebna from his office as master of the palace.
Psalm                    : Psalm 138:1-3,6,8 | God's kindness is forever.
Second Reading    : Romans 11:33-36 | Paul sings praise to God.
Gospel                   : Matthew 16:13-20
 
Jesus chose the region of Caesarea Philippi to ask His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” The area was scattered with the remains of ancient Syrian Baal worship, at least 14 temples have been identified. A cave near this city is said to be the birthplace of the Greek god pan, the warrior god. There had also been a great temple of white marble built to the godhead of Caesar. It is as if Jesus deliberately set Himself against the background of the world’s religions in all their splendour and glory to teach his disciples as to who he really was: man and not only God; God and not only man. To know about Jesus and to know Jesus are two different things. We can know about Jesus by listening to someone else or by reading books on him but knowing Jesus is always a result of a personal experience. So the million dollar question is "who is Jesus for me?"