Friends are always there

It feels good to have someone you can depend on. Whether it's your mother, your babysitter or your best friend, it's important to share your good times and problems with another person.

Jesus knew how important it was to have people He could trust, too. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 16:13-19), He finds out how much His friends care about Him -- and He makes one of them a promise.

Jesus asked the Apostles, "Who do people say that I am?" They answered: "John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or a prophet." Then Jesus asked, "But who do you say I am?" Peter spoke up: "You're the Messiah, the son of God!" Jesus told him: "Bless you, Peter. Your name means `rock,' and I'll build my church on that rock."

When you have a friend or someone in your family that you can depend on, you know the person will always be ready to listen to you. If you're excited about getting a new pet or sad because your picnic got rained out, the person you trust will be excited for you or give you a hug to help you feel better.

In the Gospel story, Jesus found out that His Apostles were that kind of friends. They had listened to what other people said about Jesus, but they also listened to what Jesus told them and remembered it.

When Jesus asked who He was, Peter spoke up right away: "You're God!" For Jesus, knowing that someone was listening to Him must have been like getting a hug from a friend!

Good friends give each other gifts of time. If someone you depend on listens to you, you listen to them, too. Jesus let Peter know that He was listening to him by giving Peter a special gift: Jesus made Peter the head of the whole Church!

Just like a person you trust, a rock is always there. No matter how bad the weather gets, rocks don't wash away. When Jesus reminded Peter that his name meant "rock," He was really saying, "You're my friend. I can depend on you -- and whatever happens, I know that we'll always be there for each other!" Jesus and Peter were two good people to depend on.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me depend on you as much as you depended on your "rock." Amen!

(06-26-97)

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