24 Ordinary: September 14/15, 2024

​At the recent Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Catholic speaker Paul Kim began his talk to teenagers with what he said-- were the worst pick up lines for Catholic men to use, when trying to get a date.   They included:
          Hi, I was reading the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament and I couldn't find yours. . . can I have it?
          He continued:  I'm a Catholic and we pray the rosary. . . I want to be your Joyful Mystery for the next 5 decades. . .
          And finally:  My name is peace.  Can I be with you??
          Kim concluded any man who uses such lines is going to stay single for a long time!
          While far from a pick-up line - as he already had many followers -- and more like a reality check to make sure he was connecting with those who were following him -- Jesus asks:
          WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM.
And the disciples told him some of things they picked up from the crowds:
          John the Baptist:  because, like John, they had heard Jesus call them to repentance.
          Others said Elijah:  for like Elijah, they had heard Jesus call them to stop following after false gods and return to the one true God.
 
          And still others - one of the prophets -- maybe like Isaiah - because they had seen Jesus set himself like flint against all the false things the scribes and Pharisees were saying about him.
          After hearing the results of this 1st century Gallop Poll --  Jesus must have thought, okay, I am connecting with the broader crowd -- they know that I am sent by God  -- they may not follow me to the bitter end -- but at least they are listening.
          BUT wanting to carry the reality check to another level -- Jesus wanted to make sure he was connecting with his closest followers -- and so he dares to ask the disciples -- but who do you say that I am?
          And good ole Peter, who was known to put his foot in his mouth more than once -- blurts out the bold statement:  You are the Christ!
           Good answer Peter, Jesus must have thought -- but do you really know all that entails?
          So he proceeded to tell them -- being the Christ, being the Messiah  -- means first suffering and death -- but then resurrection.
          And this is something Peter can't take -- and obviously the others can't take either -- because all of them will scatter when the suffering begins.
          At our Baptism -- this question is answered for us by our parents and godparents:  who do we say Jesus is?
          We say we believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
          We make that proclamation of faith every Sunday-- whether we use the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed. 
          And we often sing of this commitment to following Christ in song – as we will today at Communion when the very words we use are :  I will choose Christ, I will choose love, I choose to serve.  I give my heart, I give my life, I give my all to you.
 
 
          So the question is-- do we? 
Do we give our hearts, our lives, our all to Jesus Christ?
And if we were to do a reality check among our family and friends – and ask them – who do you say that I am --  would they readily admit that they know us as a follower of Jesus Christ? 
          Because . . . they see that we readily give to those who need the necessities of the body – as St. James challenges us?
          Do they know we are a follower of Christ because . . . they so easily see how we can deny our own wants, needs, and desires – in order to take up our cross and follow Jesus?
          Would our friends and family readily identify us as a follower of Christ because. . . they know we live according to Gospel values – and that we are willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel?
          The prophet Isaiah begins our reading today by saying “The Lord God opens my ears that I may hear.”
Leo, our guest speaker of last week (unless you were here at the 11:00 Mass and our speaker was Bishop Johnston)  reminded us that the greatest tragedy in life is not to be born deaf – but to have ears and refuse to listen. . .
          We have heard the word of God today.  We have heard the call to become more and more like Christ in our words and actions. 
We have heard that we must take up our cross and follow after Christ –
 but hearing and listening are not enough – we must now put all this into practice.
          And if we do the best we can – and rely on the grace of God to build on our human efforts – then others will readily know that we have chosen to give our heart, our life, and our all to Christ. 
And that being followers of Jesus Christ is not just something we talk about or sing about – it’s something we actually do --
So - maybe the song we used to sing back when I was growing up – and actually sang at the school mass this week-- will ring true – they will know we are Christians by our love.