The readings for the Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) May be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082320.cfm
What’s the most important question in life?
If you’re a student and you just finished an important exam, that question might be “Did I pass?”
If you’re single and in love, the most important question in your life might be “Will you marry me?”
If you’re doing a Keto diet, that question might be, “Are there many carbs in that?”
If you’re very sick and just got test results back, the most important question might be, “Doctor, am I going to live?” Or “Doctor, how much time do I have left?”
There are lots of important questions.
In today’s gospel, the first question Jesus asks is “Who do the crowds say I am?” Or to paraphrase, who does the world say I am?
We might answer, “Well, Lord, they think you’re a great guy and teacher, a good model for us, a healer, a reformer, an optimist, a very spiritual person right up there up there with Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, Confucius and Buddha.”
You can almost imagine Jesus smiling compassionately at this.
When it comes to our eternal souls, it really doesn’t matter who the world says Jesus is, does it?
The world’s opinion doesn’t count. It might apply some peer pressure, but it just doesn’t matter.
Then comes the most important question in life - the most important question of all.
Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am? Talk about being put on the spot.
Six simple words, not one of them having more than three letters.
But on the answer to that question “Who do you say I am?” hangs everything -
the direction of our life, our attitude towards life, how we act, what we say, what we hope for, how we love and the salvation of our souls.
If Jesus were to ask us, “Who do you say I am?”
How would we respond?
We might say, “Lord, I’ve never really thought about it.”
If we are Christian, Catholic, if we gather around His table, that can’t be our answer.
We might answer, “Lord, I think lots of things about you, but you’ve kind of put me on the spot here, can I have a bit of a think and get back to you?”
Really? Especially, since Jesus has already revealed to us who He is and who we are as members of His Church.
Or - We can give the right answer, the one given by Peter.
We can answer, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
You are my Lord and Savior
You are the way, the truth, and the life
You are God from God, light from light, true God from true God,
begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, from whom all good things come.
You know me better than I know myself,
you love me so much that you died for me,
you rose from the dead and want to spend eternity with me,
That’s who you are, Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all.
That’s the right answer. That’s how Peter answered.
That’s how Peter answered and the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church was founded on the rock of his faith.
Now the answer we give - matters. It matters big time in our lives, both now and for all eternity.
How we live, what we say, what we choose, how we treat ourselves and how we treat others.
“Who do you say I am?” The most important question of all.
Lord Jesus, please give us your grace and strengthen our faith and help us to answer with certainty, without hesitation and as confidently as Saint Peter did.
