Homily by the Assessor of the Order at the Basilica of St. John Lateran

It fills us with emotion, dear Knights and Dames, to receive the Word of the Lord proclaimed for us today in this Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Mother of all Churches in the world, Cathedral of Rome, the seat of the Cathedra of the Successor of the Apostle Peter, Pope Leo XIV, who will receive us in Audience next Thursday.

Saint Matthew tells us that Jesus paused on his journey in the “region of Caesarea Philippi”, in the north of Galilee, near the sources of the Jordan. He preached, performed miracles, and was followed by thousands of people whom he fed by multiplying a few loaves. He wished to know what they thought of him.

He asked his disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is? But you, who do you say I am?”.

The first question - “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” - is straightforward; it’s about reporting what others think: “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” The second question, however, personally involves the disciples: “But you, who do you say I am?”.

Jesus questions his disciples, and today he questions us. It is a question addressed to disciples of every age. Every Sunday we profess our faith by reciting the Creed. Often, we run the risk of merely repeating a formula. But Jesus is not satisfied with formal answers. Today, at the heart of this Jubilee pilgrimage, Jesus says to each of us: Who am I to you? It is a question that compels us to look within and give a personal response.

Christianity cannot remain an experience confined to participation in liturgical rites.  It might be a convenient way of understanding faith. The question Jesus asks his disciples - But who do you say that I am? - is not about rules to follow, but about a relationship with Him. He does not ask for outward practices, but invites us to recognize what place Jesus holds in our lives. Am I in love with Him and with His words?

And on that day Peter replied on behalf of all: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Can we too respond, not only with our lips but with our hearts, not only in words but through our lives: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”?

To profess the faith is to reaffirm to Christ who He is for us, what He has revealed of Himself to us. It is to bear witness through our actions. It is to say aloud, with Peter, that He is the Messiah, “the Christ, the Son of the living God”, and to give our lives for Him. Our faith, the faith of the Church, is summed up in these words and in this commitment to Christ.

It is a call to move from listening to Jesus to bearing witness to Him. Nourished by the Word of the Lord, we must live for Him and proclaim Him to our brothers and sisters with joy and love.

To Peter’s words, inspired by the heavenly Father, Jesus responds with other words - a proclamation of who Peter is and what the Church will be: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of hell shall not prevail against it”.

The moment Peter recognises who Jesus is, he receives a new identity and a new calling: “You are Peter”. When one welcomes Christ, they also discover their true identity and come to truly know themselves. They also understand their mission and the great responsibility that comes with it.

Simon becomes Peter — the rock upon which the Lord intends to build His Church. The grace Peter received does not concern only his person, but is a gift that accompanies the journey of the Church: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” It is a grace that the Holy Spirit communicates to the Bishop of Rome, successor of Peter and Vicar of Christ. Strengthened by this gift, the Pope fosters the unity of the Church and safeguards the truth of the faith. To Peter and to the Church, Jesus promises eternal stability and victory over the powers of hell.

Christianity is founded upon Peter’s response - “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” - and upon the confession of faith understood as a personal relationship with Christ. This personal relationship with Christ is indispensable. Nor can faith be relativised by separating Christ from His Church. “We are not do-it-yourself Christians. We are Christians together, within the Church,” Pope Francis often reminded us.

And after Peter and the apostles, a countless multitude of brothers and sisters over these 2,000 years have chosen to profess their faith in Christ. They allowed themselves to be drawn in by Him, followed Him as members of His Body, who is the Church, and enabled the Word of Christ and His saving work to reach the ends of the earth.

Today, Jesus helps us to give meaning to our lives. Only Christ can offer us this gift. Therefore, today we commit ourselves to remain firmly united with Him, to live every moment from Him and for Him.

As the Cardinal Grand Master exhorts in his book on the spirituality of the Order (p. 64): “For the authenticity of Christian life and fidelity to spirituality, as Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, it is necessary, always and constantly, to conform ourselves to the Mystery of Jesus and of the Church, mindful of the Lord’s teaching: ‘If anyone wants to follow me (…) let him take up his cross and follow me.’”

The first lay Knight of our Order to be canonised - just last Sunday by Pope Leo XIV - Saint Bartolo Longo, lived this deeply personal relationship with Christ. His heart was continually nourished by apostolic fervour. He taught that through the prayer of the Rosary, one contemplates the face of Christ through the eyes of Mary. He was a faithful and obedient son of the Church, building the Sanctuary of Pompeii and the new City of Love, beginning with the least: orphaned girls and the children of prisoners.

Following his example, “the generosity of the Knight and Dame is an all-encompassing generosity that does not end in the Holy Land but becomes a characteristic element of their presence in the Church […] a multiplied generosity that desires to take to heart the needs of all those most in need”. (Formation Document, no. 22).

Finally, today’s Jubilee pilgrimage is for us an opportunity of grace, “the opportunity to appreciate anew, and with immense gratitude, the gift of the new life that we have received in Baptism […] An example would be the tradition of building baptismal fonts in the shape of an octagon, as seen in many ancient baptisteries, like that of Saint John Lateran in Rome. This was intended to symbolize that Baptism is the dawn of the “eighth day”, the day of the resurrection […] this is the goal to which we tend on our earthly pilgrimage (cf. Rom 6:22). (Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit)

Today, in this place of such significance - the seat of the Chair of the Successor of the Apostle Peter - we are reminded that our ancient Order, throughout various periods, was established, reorganised, expanded, and enriched with privileges and responsibilities by the Supreme Pontiffs. Here, we reconsecrate ourselves, professing our faith in Christ and committing to live it out as faithful and obedient children of the Church. We embrace the exhortation Pope Francis addressed to participants of the Order’s Pilgrimage in 2013: “Your journey to build is born of confessing in an ever deeper way the faith […] This is an important point for each one of you and for the Order as a whole, so that each person is helped to deepen his adherence to Christ: the profession of faith and the testimony of charity are closely connected and are the strong key points that qualify your action”.

May Holy Mary, the Queen of Peace, intercede for this grace on our behalf, and let us implore Our Lord Jesus Christ to pour out His Spirit upon us, Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre, so that we may become convinced and sincere instruments of Peace and Love among our brothers and sisters. Amen.