Come Holy Spirit Series: 21st Sunday Year A Peter's Profession of faith

 Come Holy Spirit Series

Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit: Walking with Jesus in Ordinary Time

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time — Year A

The Holy Spirit Helps Us Recognise Who Jesus Really Is

 

 Introduction

Each week in this series we return to one simple question:

What is the Holy Spirit doing in this Sunday's Gospel?

This week Jesus asks His disciples a question.

At first, it seems straightforward:

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

The disciples have plenty of answers.

John the Baptist. Elijah. Jeremiah. One of the prophets.

But then Jesus makes the question personal:

“But you, who do you say I am?”

Suddenly, it is no longer about what other people think.

It is about relationship.

Peter answers:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus tells him something remarkable. Peter has not reached this understanding simply through human reasoning. Something has been revealed to him.

Here we discover the quiet work of the Holy Spirit: He opens our hearts to recognise who Jesus truly is.

 

The Gospel

“But you, who do you say I am?”

— Matthew 16:15

This may be one of the most important questions Jesus ever asks.

Not:

Who does your parish say I am?

Not:

Who does the Church say I am?

Not even:

Who did you learn that I am?

But:

Who do YOU say I am?

Our answer cannot remain borrowed forever.

Eventually faith becomes personal.

 

What Is the Holy Spirit Doing in This Gospel?

The Holy Spirit is leading us beyond information about Jesus into recognition of Jesus.  Peter had spent considerable time with Christ.

He had:

• heard His teaching,
• witnessed His miracles,
• watched Him heal,
• eaten with Him,
• travelled with Him.

Yet knowing facts about Jesus and recognising His true identity are not quite the same thing. Peter suddenly sees more deeply:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus responds:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.”

Faith involves reason, learning and listening. But ultimately, recognising Jesus as Lord is also grace.

The Holy Spirit draws back the veil.

He takes what we have heard about Jesus and allows it to move from the head into the heart.

The Jesus we have heard about becomes the Jesus we know.

 

 Walking with Jesus This Week

Perhaps we have known about Jesus for many years.

We may know the Gospel stories.

We may know our prayers.

We may attend Mass faithfully.

We may be able to recite the Creed.

All of these things matter deeply.

But this week's Gospel asks something more personal:

Who is Jesus to me today?

Our answer may change and deepen throughout our lives.

At one stage Jesus may be the Teacher.

At another, the Healer.

At another, the Friend who walks beside us.

At another, the One we cling to when everything else feels uncertain.

And gradually the Holy Spirit leads us more deeply into Peter's confession:

You are the Christ.
You are the Son of the living God.
You are my Lord.

 

Allowing the Spirit to Reveal Jesus

Perhaps during the remainder of this week we could spend some quiet time with Jesus' question:

“Who do you say I am?”

Don't rush to give the correct theological answer.

Sit with the question.

Let the Holy Spirit bring your own answer to the surface.

We might also ask:

“Holy Spirit, show me Jesus more deeply.”

Perhaps there is an aspect of Christ we need to encounter afresh.

Do I need to know Him as:

• Shepherd?
• Healer?
• Teacher?
• Saviour?
• Friend?
• Lord?
• the One who never abandons me?

The Holy Spirit always leads us toward Christ.

And the more deeply we know Christ, the more clearly we begin to understand ourselves.

 “You Are Peter”

Something else happens in this Gospel.

Once Peter recognises who Jesus is, Jesus reveals something about who Peter is:

“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”

There is a beautiful movement here.

Peter says:

“You are the Christ.”

Jesus replies, in effect:

“And now let Me tell you who you are.”

Encountering Christ reveals our own identity.

The Holy Spirit does not merely help us understand Jesus. He also helps us discover who we are becoming in Christ.

Peter is far from perfect. He will stumble badly before the Gospel story is finished.

Yet Jesus already sees what grace will make of him.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit does the same with us.

We often see what we are now.

God sees what His grace is forming us to become.

 

For Reflection This Week

• If Jesus asked me today, “Who do you say I am?”, what would my personal answer be?
• Do I know Jesus mainly through what I have learned about Him, or am I continuing to allow that knowledge to deepen into relationship?
• Is there an aspect of Jesus that the Holy Spirit may be inviting me to discover more deeply at this point in my life?
• Peter discovered something about his own identity after recognising Christ. What might Jesus be showing me about who I am becoming in Him?

 

Come, Holy Spirit. Reveal Jesus to us more deeply, and in knowing Him, help us discover who God is calling us to become.

 

Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit.

Open the eyes of my heart so that I may recognise Jesus more deeply.

Move my faith beyond simply knowing about Him into truly knowing Him.

When Jesus asks me,

“Who do you say I am?”

help me to answer not only with my lips, but with my life.

Reveal Christ to me in Scripture, in the Eucharist, in prayer and in the ordinary moments of my day.

And as I discover more deeply who Jesus is, help me also to discover who I am in Him.

When I see only my weaknesses, remind me of what Your grace can make of me.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Lead me into a deeper relationship with Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Amen.

 

 

Collect Series: Collect 20th Sunday Year A

 COLLECT SERIES

COLLECT

 

The Collect for 20^th Sunday Ordinary Time reads as follows:

O God, who have prepared for those who love You

good things which no eye can see,

Fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of Your love,

So that, loving You in all things and above all things,

We may attain Your promises,

Which surpass every human desire

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son,

Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What are the good things which God has prepared for You?
2. How much do I long for God and how might I long for Him more this coming week?
3. What steps will I take this coming week to love God above all things?
4. What does the warmth of God’s love mean for you?
5. How have I experienced God’s love in my life?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Matthew 15:21–28

Theme: “Great Is Your Faith”

Setting the Scene

Jesus travels to the region of Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile territory outside the traditional boundaries of Israel. There He encounters a Canaanite woman whose daughter is suffering greatly.

Desperate for help, the woman approaches Jesus and cries out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David.” She recognises Jesus as the Messiah and places her hope in Him.

At first, Jesus appears unresponsive. The disciples become annoyed by her persistence and ask Him to send her away. Even when Jesus speaks about His mission to the lost sheep of Israel, the woman refuses to give up. She kneels before Him and continues to plead for mercy.

Finally, Jesus praises her extraordinary faith and grants her request. Her daughter is healed that very hour.

This Gospel is a powerful testimony to perseverance, humility, and unwavering trust in God's mercy.

Gospel Reflection: Faith That Refuses to Give Up

The Canaanite woman is one of the most remarkable figures in the Gospels. She is not part of the Jewish people, yet she demonstrates a faith that becomes an example for everyone who follows Christ.

At first, the conversation between Jesus and the woman can seem difficult to understand. Jesus' response appears unusually harsh. Yet the encounter gradually reveals the depth of the woman's faith and the universality of God's saving love.

The woman is not discouraged by silence, obstacles, or apparent rejection. She continues to trust. She continues to ask. She continues to believe that Jesus can help her.

Her persistence is not stubbornness; it is faith.

She approaches Jesus with humility. She does not demand. She does not claim entitlement. Instead, she places herself completely in His hands and trusts in His mercy.

In the end, Jesus publicly acknowledges what He already sees within her heart: “Woman, great is your faith!”

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus often comments on people's faith. Rarely does He describe it as great. The woman becomes a model of courageous trust, demonstrating that God's grace is offered to all who come to Him in faith.

Personal Reflection

There are times when prayer can feel difficult. We may pray for healing, guidance, peace, or help for a loved one, yet the answer does not come as quickly as we hope.

Like the Canaanite woman, we may experience moments when God seems silent or distant. During such times, it can be tempting to give up.

This Gospel encourages us to persevere.

The woman's faith was not based on immediate results. Her faith remained strong because she trusted in the goodness and mercy of Jesus.

Her example invites us to bring our needs honestly before God while continuing to trust Him, even when answers take time.

The Gospel also reminds us that God's love extends beyond every boundary and limitation. No one is outside His concern. No one is beyond His reach.

Whenever we feel discouraged, this courageous woman reminds us to keep praying, keep trusting, and keep believing that God is at work.

Questions for Reflection

1. What part of this Gospel speaks most strongly to me today?
2. When have I experienced a period of waiting in prayer?
3. How do I respond when God's answers seem delayed?
4. What can I learn from the perseverance of the Canaanite woman?
5. Where is God inviting me to trust Him more deeply?
6. How have I experienced God's mercy in my life?
7. Is there a person or situation that I need to continue placing before God in prayer?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your mercy,

Your compassion,

and Your unfailing love.

When prayer becomes difficult,

help me to persevere in faith.

Teach me to trust You

even when I cannot immediately see the answers.

Give me the humility of the Canaanite woman,

the courage to keep asking,

and the confidence to place my life in Your hands.

Strengthen my faith

and help me to believe

that Your grace is always at work.

May I never lose hope in Your goodness

and always trust in Your loving care.

Amen.

 

Collect Series: 18th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

 Collect Series

The Mass: Collect series

 

COLLECT

 

The Collect for the 18th Sunday of Year reads as follows:

 

Draw near to Your servants, O Lord

And answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,

That, for those who glory in You as their Creator and guide,

You may restore what You have created,

And keep safe what You have restored.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for during the week the following reflection questions emerged:

1.    What is my attitude towards God? 

2.    Do I accept fully that I am created by God and not the Creator?

3.    Do I believer that God always answers my prayers  with unceasing kindness?

4.    Consider a prayer/desire/longing that I prayed for with great need and seemingly did not receive.  Can I look back and realise how God answered my prayer in another far better way and/or saved me from a lot of pain.

5.    Do I truly desire God my Creator to restore me?

6.    What are the areas in my life that I need God to restore?

7.    How does God keep safe what He has restored in me?

 

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Matthew 14:13–21

Theme: “You Give Them Something to Eat”

Setting the Scene

After hearing of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus withdraws to a lonely place to pray and grieve. Yet the crowds learn where He has gone and follow Him on foot from the surrounding towns.

When Jesus sees the vast crowd, His response is not irritation or exhaustion but compassion. He welcomes them, heals the sick, and spends time ministering to their needs.

As evening approaches, the disciples become concerned. The people are hungry, and the nearest villages are some distance away. They suggest sending the crowd away to buy food. Instead, Jesus responds with a surprising command: “You give them something to eat.”

The disciples can see only their limitations—five loaves and two fish. Yet Jesus takes what they offer, blesses it, breaks it, and feeds thousands. Not only is there enough for everyone, but twelve baskets of leftovers remain.

This miracle reveals both the compassion of Jesus and the abundance of God's provision.

Gospel Reflection: Offering What We Have

At first glance, the disciples' concern seems reasonable. Faced with thousands of hungry people, their resources are clearly inadequate. Five loaves and two fish appear insignificant compared to the need before them.

Yet Jesus does not ask the disciples to provide what they do not have. He simply asks them to offer what they do have.

This is often how God works in our lives.

We may feel that our gifts are too small, our resources too limited, or our efforts too insignificant to make a difference. We look at the size of the challenge and focus on our lack rather than on God's abundance.

Jesus invites the disciples—and us—to place what we have into His hands. Once offered to Him, ordinary gifts become instruments of extraordinary grace.

The miracle also points beyond physical hunger. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus feeds people spiritually as well as physically. He nourishes hearts through His teaching, His mercy, and ultimately through the gift of Himself in the Eucharist.

The twelve baskets left over remind us that God's generosity exceeds all expectations. God's grace is never scarce. His love is never exhausted. He provides not only enough, but an abundance.

Personal Reflection

There are times when we feel overwhelmed by the needs around us. We may see people who are lonely, struggling, grieving, or searching for hope. We may also recognise our own limitations and wonder what difference we can possibly make.

Like the disciples, we can be tempted to focus on what we lack.

This Gospel invites us to shift our perspective. Instead of asking, “What don't I have?” Jesus asks, “What can you offer?”

Perhaps it is our time, our kindness, our listening ear, our encouragement, our prayer, or our willingness to serve. What seems small to us can become a blessing when entrusted to God.

The miracle of the loaves and fishes reminds us that God delights in working through ordinary people and ordinary gifts. He takes what we offer and multiplies it in ways we could never imagine.

Questions for Reflection

1. What part of this Gospel speaks most strongly to me today?
2. When have I experienced God's provision in a time of need?
3. What gifts or resources do I sometimes underestimate?
4. How do I respond when I feel inadequate or overwhelmed by a situation?
5. What might Jesus be asking me to place into His hands today?
6. How can I help meet the physical, emotional, or spiritual needs of others?
7. What does this Gospel teach me about God's generosity and abundance?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You are the One who feeds both body and soul.

When I focus on my limitations,
help me to trust in Your abundance.

Teach me to offer You whatever I have,
no matter how small it may seem.

Bless my gifts, my efforts, and my desire to serve.
Use them for Your glory
and for the good of others.

Fill me with confidence in Your provision
and gratitude for Your generosity.

May I always trust that in Your hands,
there is more than enough.

Amen.

Come Holy Spirit