I’ve been married for nine years now and it is amazing to look back that my wife and I started as strangers. It started with a simple hello and then blossomed into a wonderful and life-giving relationship. People around me might have varying opinions of who I am. They might have a different perception of my identity depending on the quality and quantity of our encounters. Yet my wife knows me inside and out.

In the Gospel, Jesus asked who other people say He is. There were various speculative answers, some said He is John the Baptist, others said He is Elijah or some other prophets. But these answers don’t completely define who he really is. Then, Jesus asked “who do you say that I am?” to the people closely associated with Him. Peter, who is a disciple and who has been with Jesus most of the time, exclaimed, “You are the Messiah the Christ!” This for me means that the quality of our knowledge of Jesus relies on the quality of our relationship with Him. Our knowledge of Him is cultivated by our time and experience together.

So, who do I say Jesus is? He is the peace I feel when I wake up in the morning, someone who I can unload any burden even how heavy it is, a friend who is available 24/7, a teacher who guides me toward truth and happiness.

During this Lenten season, take time to answer, who is Jesus for you? How might recent life events – triumph or loss, sickness or healing - influence your knowledge of Jesus? Like Peter, may we be open to the gift of saying, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.”