Reflection on gospel of Matthew 16:13-17 By Jithin kalan cmi

Reflection on gospel of Matthew 16:13-17 

I walk by holding Christ’s hand. He is the only one consoling voice for me. The above quote is by Malayalam veteran writer Perumbadavam Sreedharan which was published in the Sunday supplement of Malayalamanorama on 3^rd September 2006. It clearly pictures out the fact that for Perumbadavam, Christ is the person who walks by him and becomes a consoling voice. The reading of the day invites us to reflect on the relationship between Christ and us. We see that Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, Son of the living God. What was that which strengthened him to speak out such a way? It is nothing but his own personal touch and experience with Christ.

There is a story which goes like this. Every day in the night the daughter runs to father and asks him “Papa, could you please tell a story?” when she cries for a story, he takes her on his lap and says the story. Later she used to fall asleep. It was the only story which father knows. It happened every day in the same line so the father got bored. He worked out an idea that he just recorded the story in a cassette. The same day when the daughter asked for story he played the cassette. But before the conclusion of the story there was a big sound. The daughter had thrown the tape recorder against the wall. Father immediately reached the room and got angry and asked her, “Why did you behave like this?” she said I can hear the story only through this cassette, but I cannot sit on papa’s lap. I want to hear the story on sitting Pap’s lap.

This story highlights the notion that knowledge will be blurred which has no personal consent. It will make clearer by the words of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Company who died couple of weeks ago: “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition”

It is a big question in front of us. As we are Christians do we have our own stand to say who Christ is for me? If we are able, we will be blessed with all the graces that St. Peter was showered upon by Christ. If not, our words and deeds become like beating around the bush as St. Paul proclaimed: “if Christ is not raised, my speech becomes in vain”. So let us button up ourselves to have a clear cut knowledge and experience of Christ through our gospel oriented and prayer life. Let me wind up by spelling out a quote often we hear “Your life should become a fifth Gospel which could be read by many.”
 Jithin kalan CMI