Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven ” Mt 16:18.

Peter and the other disciples had spent enough time with Jesus to understand that there was something extraordinary about him. He taught like no one else, performed miracles, and even called God his “Father.” And because of that, they hoped that he was the Messiah. But Peter went even further and expressed it out loud. Not only did he call Jesus the Messiah, but he even declared that he was the Son of the living God! Jesus responded by assessing that Peter’s confession came not from “flesh and blood” (Mt 16:17) but from revelation. It came from God. Like Peter, we may know much about Jesus: what he said, what he did, and how he prayed.

From all this, we can logically conclude that Jesus must have been more than human. Moreover, we can be reached by the testimony of other people who profess to believe in Jesus. But if we want to believe in Jesus personally, we need something more than reason or logic, rumors or feelings. We require God’s revelation. Only God can bring us faith in Christ despite our limitations. The Catechism says: “There is another kind of knowledge which man by his efforts can by no means attain, namely, the kind of knowledge from divine revelation. God reveals Himself and gives Himself to man out of an entirely free choice…when He sends His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit” (CCC 50).

Amazingly, the infinite God has made Himself known to us in Jesus! Moreover, He gives us His Spirit to enlighten our hearts so that, like Peter, we may know that Jesus is the Son of the living God. All you have learned and experienced in your faith journey has created fertile soil within you. And your relationship with Jesus can deepen as the Holy Spirit gives you the ability to perceive the nearness of Jesus. All you need is time and an open, willing heart to use this ability. Reread today’s passage and ask yourself: “Who is Jesus for me?” Call on the Holy Spirit to search your heart and strengthen the faith you already have. Ask Him to reveal who Jesus is – to reveal it more and more each day.