Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time – 23rd August 2026
Dear brothers and sisters,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks a question which at first seems quite simple: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples answer with what they have heard from others. But then Jesus goes further: “But who do you say that I am?”
And this is where today’s Gospel really begins.
Because Jesus is not asking us what we have learnt about Him. He is not asking what other people say about Him. He is asking each one of us personally: “Who am I for you?”
And this question becomes even more serious when we look at the world in which we are living. For so long now, we have watched the suffering caused by the war in Ukraine. We see people losing their lives, parents grieving for their children, families separated from one another.
And this summer we have seen terrible fires, with people forced to leave their homes and families losing, sometimes within a few hours, what they had spent a lifetime building.
All of this reminds us of a truth that perhaps we would rather not think about: life is fragile. A home built over many years can disappear in a night. The peace we take for granted can suddenly be lost. Our plans can change in a moment. And it is precisely in the middle of this fragile world that Jesus asks us: “But who do you say that I am?”
Who am I when everything is going well? But, more importantly, who am I when you are afraid? When you do not understand? When you lose something precious? When the future becomes uncertain?
Peter answers: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is not simply a beautiful answer. It is a choice. Peter is really saying: “Lord, I place my trust in You.”