The readings for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B may be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091524.cfm
We get asked a lot of questions in life, don’t we?
We also ask many questions.
I know I do - especially after last week’s presidential debate.
Sometimes, I even ask them out loud to other people.
In this week’s gospel passage from the evangelist Saint Mark,
we hear the most important question any of us will ever answer.
And the stakes for how we answer it, couldn’t be higher.
This week is a turning point in Jesus’ earthly ministry.
His time in Galilee is coming to a close and He is just about to start the difficult journey that would ultimately lead to Him dying on the cross.
It was time to prepare the disciples for what was coming.
Now, the disciples had the privilege of walking and talking with Jesus.
They saw His miracles and heard His teachings first hand.
They watched Him up close.
And so when Jesus asks them, “Who do you say that I am?”,
we might wonder why He even asks.
I mean, He is God - doesn’t He already know the answer?
Put simply,
I think he wanted to gauge
whether or not they were learning what He had been trying to teach them.
Like a good teacher uses a teching moment in the classroom.
Jesus asks us that exact same question today.
Who do you say that I am?
So I ask you - Who do you say that Jesus is?
How we answer - is everything.
If we answer sincerely,
It informs how we live our lives,
the things that we do
and how we relate to other people.
Our answer has a lot to say where we will spend eternal life.
And let’s be clear.
Jesus didn’t mince words.
We know from sacred scripture that Jesus tells us that He is the only Lord, the only way to God.
He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Not a lot of grey area there.
So either that is true -
That Jesus is the one way to God
and that who we say that Jesus is -
is the most important question we will ever have to answer or else
Jesus is a liar.
So if we believe what we all say in the creed, then it should not be hard for us to answer Jesus’ question,
“Who do you say that I am?”
Our answer guides our entire faith journey and our identity as Catholics.
And we must answer with our hearts and not our brains only.
It's not enough to acknowledge Jesus as Lord,
We must allow this truth to shape our actions, our relationships, and our priorities.
And that means we need to examine ourselves and how we behave and what we do and who we do it with - very carefully.
When Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?",
He is inviting us into a deeper relationship with Him.
He's not looking for a textbook or catechism answer.
He's asking for our personal understanding and commitment.
He’s asking us to embrace the fullness of His mission - including the cross.
When we answer Jesus' question, we're committing to a way of life.
Our Catholic faith is not a mere set of beliefs.
It’s a lived relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.
When we truly know who Jesus is, we better understand who we are called to be.
This week, I ask you to consider some of the ways you can respond to Jesus’ question and His call to us today.
Start the day by thanking God. Tell Him you will do your best to live your life the way He asks that day and ask Him for help to do so.
Spend some time in conversation with God, listening for his voice in Scripture and in the silence of our hearts. If you struggle to find a quiet place, Wednesday aodoration from 3pm to 6:30pm here in the church is a good time to do just that and Jesus will literally be here in the Eucharist.
Put your faith into action by helping someone who desperately needs it and who likely can’t help you back.
Think before you do. Try to consciously align your words and actions with the teachings of Jesus.
Use the gifts you’ve been given to build up His Church so that more people can know Jesus better.
"Who do you say that I am?"
The most important question we will ever be asked.
And we will all have to answer it sooner or later.
May we, like Peter,
come to recognize Jesus as the Son of the living God,
and orient our lives around this most important and undeniable truth.
Our lives quite literally depend on it.
