You Are the Christ!

Who do people say that I am? Jesus posed this question to His disciples some 2,000 years ago. Peter was bold enough to declare, "You are the Christ, Son of the Living God!" And Jesus asks us now, and you, "Who do you say that I am?"

Jesus is the baby in the manger on Christmas day. He is the reason for the burgeoning of sales to our business tycoons - we are talking in billions here. On the other hand, he is the hope of the children singing their carols hoping for some penny to be handed on to them with some shouts and smirks from the half-opened doors.

Jesus is the King on Palm Sunday. He gives an added P500 income to street vendors on Saturdays prior to Palm Sunday and an added P700 more on the Big Day. Everybody shouts hosanna to the King of Kings with palms raised up high.

Jesus is the Crucified Son of God on Good Friday. He is the reason for our walking down the streets barefooted on a hot and sunny Good Friday. We cried for His pains and mourned for His death. We looked up at the Crucified Christ with so much love for the Son of God and remorse for our own sins. And on a Sunday after His death, His resurrection, we sing again the grand melodies of the great Gloria!

But who is Jesus in between? Jesus said, "whatever you do to the least of brethren you do it unto me." Elsewhere He says, "I was naked and you clothed me, hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, imprisoned and you visited me."

Jesus is our neighbor in between the festivities we celebrate in His honor. We don't need to look for celebrations to meet the Christ and to know Him better. We simply have to open our eyes and see with the compassionate heart of the Father the people around us. We see suffering, we see pain, we see injustices, we see famine and hunger. There is Jesus. There He is waiting for us to get to know Him better. When He asks, "who do you say that I am?" We answer, you are the brothers and the sisters around me.

May we all be real brothers and sisters to everyone especially those who needed us the most. May we all have the heart who listens to the cries of the least, the lost, and the little ones.