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August 27, 2023: "Who do you say that I am?"
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As I walked through one of those vacation stores recently, you know, one of those places of business that has all those keychains by the millions with the name of every person on them. Or, at least all the names spelled in a traditional manner. Of course, I searched under the W’s to see if my first name was on the “keychain holder,” and, of course, it was nowhere to be found. There was William, of course. There was Wendy, which I of course passed on. There was even Wanda, a name that gives me chills for some reason. But no Walter. I wasn’t bummed out, so no need to worry about my masculine feelings. It’s rare, very rare, that when I encounter one of those “keychain holders” in some vacation spot with every name under the sun (except for a few) that I come across my first name.
When presiding at the Funeral Mass of longtime parishioner Tony Thomas a few months ago, I was blessed to meet his two sons, Joe and Walter. Two great guys. I mentioned during the funeral homily that it was nice to know there was another Walter out there in the world, who happens to be next door at the auto parts store. I said that after Walter Cronkite died many years ago, I felt like I was the last Walter still living. My paternal grandfather was named Walter by his parents, as was one of my father’s brothers, known as Uncle Walter, whom I may have met once in my life before he (hopefully) went home to heaven. I said to Walter Thomas during his dad’s Mass something to the effect that it was nice to know there is another Walter out there still alive and well. That it makes us blood brothers by name. That us very few Walters need to stick together.
Even though there was no keychain with the name Walter on it, at least not in the place where I happened to be far away from Massachusetts while enjoying a vacation, I know in the deepness of my heart that, although the company that makes the keychains does not consider my first name to be worth making up a handful of them just in case there are a few Walter’s left somewhere in the United States, I carry deep within the great truth that God knows me intimately. And he knows me by name. As he does you, even if your name is John or Mary. Or Simon.
Just because there are no keychains with my first name on it to be found at one of those vacation-spot stores with all kinds of doo-dads for sale within their walls, this does not mean I have the urge to change my first name. I love my grandfather for whom I was named. He was a very good boxer in his time, and I love the idea of doing battle for the truths of our Catholic faith under attack at this time in the Church’s history. I experience the greatest internal joy when defending the authentic faith of Jesus Christ against a world that seems to lose their way quite often because of the cultural and political winds gusting around outside the sacred space. You can take it to the bank those same winds will not penetrate the windows and doors of St. Anne’s Parish on my watch. I don’t mind so much – but would prefer not to - taking on the experience of St. Paul who was beat up in more ways than one when he proclaimed God’s truth to some folks whose ears rang with anger when he spoke what Jesus revealed in him to teach. It comes with the territory. Just ask our blessed Bishop McManus, who’s been beat up by worldly “thinkers” because he’s had the fortitude and courage to defend the moral truths of Catholicism, which, by the way, is his primary responsibility. The many vulgar statements written and spoken against him reveal the devil at work, with too many folks doing Satan’s bidding. Very sad indeed. If only they had the vision to see how they separate themselves from the God who created them when perpetrating such acts. We pray for them to repent and believe in the Gospel, as I try to do every day myself.
In the Gospel this Sunday, Simon, whose brother was Andrew, receives the name change I prefer not to receive, unless, unless, it emanates directly from Jesus. I bet if a searched the S’s at the same place I searched for my first name under the W’s, I bet all the tea in China, of which I have none, that the name Simon would not be found on their shelves. Poor Simon from Capernaum would have felt left out by the vacation spots people. However, Jesus comes along and gives Simon a name change, changing his name to one that is always found on the shelves, Peter. One would be hard-pressed to not find the name Peter under the P’s on a large block of wood in a vacation-spot store that has hanging on it every name (almost) under the sun. The name Jesus gave to Peter, which means “Rock,” is one of the more popular names given to males at birth. It certainly makes the top-25 list, for sure.
Why does Jesus change the name of Simon, and not the name of Simon’s brother Andrew? Why was Jesus not concerned about making one name change for one sibling, while not changing the name of the other sibling? The answer, it seems, would be the fact that Simon spoke up, responding out loud to the Lord’s question, “But who do you say that I am?” While the other Eleven stood frozen in their half-hearted attempt to answer this all-important question posed by Jesus, Simon blurted out without hesitation – because this is how the Spirit will work at times – the correct answer of who Jesus is, and what his name means. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Folks, honestly, this answer is not given by any mere mortal unless one is filled with the Holy Spirit in that very moment. God chose Simon to vocalize the truest answer of who Jesus is, and still is. Simon spoke in the moment the most God-fearing truth that any person can speak at any point in our faith lives, or anywhere in our lives. Even in a vacation spot. Do we forget that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God when we travel to the beach, or Aruba, or anywhere we find respite and enjoyment? I pray not. Obviously, Simon took his sacred and faith-filled Jewishness with him from the area of Capernaum, his home, all the way north to Caesarea Philippi, located in the far reaches of Palestine. Should we not do the same with our faith?
The name-change for Simon being now named Peter by the voice of Jesus, who has authority to change any of our names for both ours and his benefit, is more than making sure Simon can find his name on a keychain with every conceivable name on some block of wood in a vacation spot business with countless do-dads. This would be a poor reason for a name change. Simon’s name change to Peter by the voice of Jesus is actually an early reward for Peter getting it right with regard to who Jesus truly is. And what a reward it was; to be the Rock of God’s Church on earth. After all, this Sunday’s Gospel shows how some folks have already gotten wrong who Jesus is. Some thought he was John the Baptist, others Elijah the Prophet. Good guesses, for sure. But incorrect answers. I must admit, from what I hear at times about Jesus and who he is to some folks both presently inside and outside the Church, there is no question they get who Jesus is wrong. Immensely wrong. My goodness, we have the Savior of the world all over the place nowadays. In places where the holiness of God is not to travel, unless repentance is being sought. If we could make Jesus’ head spin around in heaven because of who some say he is, they would have his head doing cartwheels throughout eternity. Fortunately, our Lord keeps his head on straight while we attempt to tear it off his shoulders, replacing his head with some weird, unholy versions that badly misname Christ. Versions that actually do away with his divinity. Versions that subscribe to the cultural winds blowing hard out there in God’s creation. The two present major ones are connected to sexuality and gender.
Simon becomes Peter because he spoke the truth of who Jesus is. He had no filter when it came to identifying the Word made flesh. He did not hesitate to do God’s bidding, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, as our blessed Bishop has done with regard to gender issues and the insanity of pronouns that misidentify a blessed child, preventing confusion from seeping into the heart of a child that will adversely affect them for years to come, if not the rest of their lives. Bravo! If I was Bishop, you can take it to the bank I would have done the same, using common sense and divinely revealed logic. Which is far better than some strange cultural gust of wind built on sand that comes and goes. St. Peter received his holy and blessed name because he had the courage to speak up in truth regarding who the most important Person who ever lived was and is. I like the idea that we get rewarded when we get it right before God and about God. Sometimes the reward is accompanied with persecution, as our blessed Bishop knows all too well. But, as our blessed Bishop also knows to perfection, and as any Christian would know who is worth their salt, rewards from God may realized in the now at times, but are always geared toward our ultimate reward in heaven. May we never lose this insight. Our lives and happiness are made, not for here, but for the eternal life won for us by Christ Jesus raised from the dead.
Maybe I’ll find a keychain one day in some vacation spot with my name on it (if you happen to, please do not buy one for me). What matters most is that I found another Walter – a Christian brother - next door in the auto parts store. But more so, that my name – and yours – has been written in heaven for being faithful to the words of Simon Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And his name is to always be the first name we hold close, in our hearts, under the sun.