There are questions and there are QUESTIONS. How about the life-altering one Jesus puts to Peter in Matthew’s gospel? And the giveaway words in that query are the last two: “I am!” This is the God’s own self-description spoken to Moses at Mt Sinai.

Before that, people had been saying that this man Jesus was one of the prophets, or even John the Baptist come back to life. But then Jesus turns to Peter: “Who is it that you say I am?” An off-putting question for sure.

From deep within Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  Peter comes to this answer, not because someone had told him or that he remembered the sentence from before – but because he was hearing words being spoken at his depths, in his inner chamber, that meeting ground between himself and the one Jesus knows as “my Heavenly Father.”

For all of us, this famous encounter raises the issue of listening, better “deep listening.” Do we try for that in our prayer? Do we give ourselves over to what has been called “soul listening?” This is being in touch with words that are not coming just from our mouths or the mouths of others, but ones rising up from the inside, ones which are, in the full sense of the word, “heartfelt.” They arise from genuine and vulnerable moments experienced in person, not from memory or rote recitation.

Jesus’ challenge is directed to all of us today. “Who do you say that I am?” This is a question to be taken home, maybe better, taken to heart. In some quiet moment during the week, let us allow the Lord Jesus to ask it again. And then — listen to the thoughts, words and feelings rising up from within.

“Who do you say that I am?” 

Encouraging a dejected sister, St. Louise de Marillac appeals to the sacred depths of her religious experience:

If we are assailed by temptations and trials, we become completely dejected, imagining ourselves to be in a deplorable state. And truly, this would be our condition if we did not cling to God by the tip of our souls, saying to Him, from the Depths of our hearts, My God, do whatever you will; I belong entirely to you! (SWLM:575 [L.546]).