A homily on Matthew 16:13–23 :Meeting Jesus at Our Caesarea Philippi (7-8-25)

A touching homily on Matthew 16:13–23 that invites us to confess Jesus not in comfort, but right where false voices try to silence Him. (7-8-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ

A priest once walked through a noisy market where people sold everything from idols to spices to prayer chains. In the middle of it all, he saw a young boy holding a small wooden cross and asking strangers, “Do you want to know about Jesus?” Most people ignored him. Some laughed. But the boy stood there, eyes bright, unmoved. The priest later asked, “Weren’t you afraid?” The boy smiled and said, “Here is where they need Him most.”

This story quietly echoes today’s Gospel. We often focus on Peter’s answer, but forget where Jesus chose to ask the question: Caesarea Philippi. This was not a peaceful mountain or a synagogue. It was a place of idols, temples, and loud voices calling people to follow false gods. There were shrines built for the emperor and for Pan, the Greek god of chaos and fear. People came here to worship anything except the living God.

And right there, in the middle of all this noise and confusion, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” He could have asked this question anywhere. But He chose that exact place. It was not by accident; moreover, Jesus wanted His followers to recognise Him, not in a holy atmosphere, but in a place full of distraction and temptation. He was teaching us that faith is not something we live out only when we feel spiritual or peaceful. It is something we declare in the middle of our ordinary and messy world.

Isn’t it true that even today, our homes and hearts are like Caesarea Philippi? There are so many voices that call us away from Jesus. The voice of comparison tells us to look at what others have. The voice of fear tells us to hide our faith. The voice of comfort tells us not to take risks. Even in religious life, we are not free from these voices. Sometimes the desire for praise, success, or control becomes stronger than our desire to love Jesus in silence and service.

However, Jesus stands in the middle of all these voices and looks at us with love. He is not angry and He is not forceful. He simply asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Not, “Who do others say?” but “you.” This is a question of the heart. What we say with our lips must come from deep inside us and it must show in our choices.

The Old Testament also shows us how God tests faith in the midst of opposition. On Mount Carmel, Elijah stood surrounded by hundreds of prophets of Baal. Still he said, “If the Lord is God, follow Him.” He did not wait for a calm setting. He stood firm in the storm. In the same way, Peter, even with all his weaknesses, spoke the truth about Jesus in the middle of false gods. That bold confession made Jesus say, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.”

Peter would later fall and he would deny Jesus. But he returned, and his love was made stronger through his failure. That is the great hope for all of us. Even when we fall, Jesus does not reject us. He builds us up again, if we return with love.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, too, did not confess Jesus in a church full of candles. He confessed Jesus by giving his life in a dark prison, so that another man could live. He did not preach with words, but with sacrifice. This is the power of faith that stands in the middle of idols and still says, “Jesus is Lord.”

So we must ask ourselves: What is my Caesarea Philippi? What are the false gods or voices in my life that try to silence my love for Jesus? Where do I need to stand up and say, “You are my Lord,” not just with words, but with my life?

May we not wait for perfect moments. Let us say it today, in the middle of our ordinary struggles and fears, that Jesus is truly the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus help me to stand for you even in the darkest moments of my life . Amen.

⇒If you find this reflection meaningful and fruitful, please share it with others

The Team Search offers retreats, recollections, and classes for religious and others on different Biblical themes, the Eucharist, prayer, spiritual direction, Missiology, English phonetics (basic & advanced), Mariology, Sacraments,  the Desert Fathers and more. If you find it hard to get a resource person for any Christian topic, we are happy to assist you.

♦Contact: thesearch1994@gmail.com

God Bless..