This weekend’s Gospel is all about the BIG question!!! There are questions…and there are QUESTIONS!!!! Some questions are not all that important in the scheme of things…questions like “do you think it will rain tomorrow?” And there are questions that are considerably more important in our lives…questions like “what is the diagnosis” or “will you marry me?” In this weekend’s Gospel passage, there is a question that trumps all other questions for those of us who profess to be Christians. Jesus puts this question to Peter and He puts it to us as well…right now! He asks, “Who do you say that I am?” In other words, Jesus wants to know whether or not you KNOW Him…not whether or not you know ABOUT Him, but do you KNOW HIM? Who is this Jesus for you? Is he a distant figure that your catechist taught you about when you were a child…and then remained that distant figure in your life? Is “Jesus” just a name you use when you are angry about something and start letting people know that you are ticked off? Is Jesus for you nothing more than a figure for you in a book called the Bible? OR…is Jesus your friend, your Shepherd, the person who gives direction to your life! For people who are RFEALLY and TRULY Christians, Jesus is not merely the founder of a religion, a revolutionary Jewish reformer, or one of the great teachers in the history of man. For Christians, Jesus is the Son of God and our personal Savior. This translates to seeing Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Savior, and the Redeemer. He is our beloved friend, closer to us than any human being could be. Jesus walks with us, loves us, forgives us, helps us, and has the power to transform our lives. If we truly believe in Jesus as our Savior, then He is having a say in our daily lives. And because of this, we should be radiating His love, His unconditional forgiveness, and His overflowing mercy and compassion. So, let me ask you the question again... “Who is Jesus to you right now?” Without the 19th century essayist Charles Lamb, William Shakespeare would be “missing in action.” It was Mr. Lamb's essays that snatched the 17th century playwright from undeserved obscurity after he had been famous for Andy Warhol's fifteen minutes. One night Lamb and his guests were chatting about the Bard over Spanish port and Cuban cigars. "Supposing," one asked Lamb, "Shakespeare were to stroll into our dining room at this moment." The essayist replied, "We would raise a glass of port to the great man." "Supposing," asked another, "Jesus were to come here." Lamb answered, "We would all get down on our knees.” There is the essential difference between the Man from Nazareth and all other great people you can think of. The Christ is God and all others, no matter what their deeds, are but fools who strut on the stage for a brief time and then exit.” GOSPEL QUESTION FOR THE WEEK: Who do you say that Jesus is?