Many years ago the acronym WWJD – What Would Jesus Do? – exploded and grew into bracelets, tshirts, and even punchlines in mainstream culture. Sometimes, though, it can be intimidating to think of what Jesus would do. Jesus did what most of us cannot: cure the sick, forgive the unforgivable, turn the other cheek, walk on water, and rise from the dead. To think of what Jesus did can be inspiring, but it can can also be overwhelming.

In this week’s gospel, we hear of Simon Peter, an impatient fisherman who often leaps without thinking, replies with emotion, and loses his faith, but yet, he is one of Jesus’ most beloved. What can we learn from this man, the man who denied Jesus three times and yet is still called “the rock” of our Church?

Perhaps we can take some time to think of WWPD – What Would Peter Do? Perhaps he is someone we can relate to, a man of flaws and imperfections, a person of sincerity who so often messes up, but who lives his faith on his arm because he believes and identifies Jesus as, “…The Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus didn’t focus on Peter’s faults – the denials, the sinking in the water, the sword he used to sever the ear of a solider. Jesus loved him so deeply, He gave him the keys to the Kingdom. God loves us like that. God sees beyond our imperfections and shortcomings.

Maybe this week we can do as Peter did and identify the living Christ in another person this week. Maybe we can even take a moment to sit with the miracle that just as Jesus loved his friend who denied him, so God loves us. And in that quiet prayer, if we hear God in the silence, maybe we can be like Peter and respond readily when asked by God, “Who do you say I am?”