Scripture Readings: Isaiah 50:5-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus ask his Disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” But he quickly turns his attention to his Disciples and asks them, “Who do you say that I am?”
His disciples had been with him for a while and Jesus was trying to see what they had learned, he was trying to see if they were on the “same page as He.”
How well do we know Jesus? What is your response?
How would you describe Jesus to someone who knows nothing of him?
We would probably tell the story, but how well do we know the story of Jesus Christ? The Greatest Story ever told. The Story that is just not a story of yesterday, but a story of everyday and of today!
You know the Story of Jesus loses its power when we take it for granted. It loses its power when we become so familiar with it that we stop hearing it as part of our Story. When we remove ourselves from the Story of Jesus we become immune to the life-changing message of the Gospel and become slaves to the world.
I would suggest, we all need to re-discover Jesus, not just for our own sakes, but for our children and their children, for the sake of our local church communities, for society at large, and for all humanity.
The Jesus we know, the Jesus we need to continue to come to know, asks us, His present day Disciples, you and me, to live the message of:
+ Love of God, love of others
+ Faithfulness to God and to others
+ Kindness, patience, encouragement
+ Sacrifice
+ Living what we say is important
You know in about a week, Pope Francis will be visiting the USA.
The Pope recently reminded we who claim the title “Catholic” to be “living examples of love, forgiveness and care.”
Said the Pope, “Be a family of love. Pray together, especially by attending Mass every weekend with your Parish family. Forgive one another. Do not gossip. Be careful how you speak, purify your tongue of offensive words, vulgarity, and worldly decadence. Be kind. Kindness is the beginning of mercy. Care for others.”
Said the Pope, “parents who make sacrifices for their families model Jesus as they place the needs of others ahead of our own.”
Just maybe our prayer today is one of continuing to get to know Jesus, to rediscover Jesus in our lives as person, family and Parish.
And in the process share the Greatest Story of the Greatest Person: Jesus, with our children and with all others, through the lives we live daily. Lives that speak volumes more about who Jesus is for us and who we are as the present say Disciples of Jesus. Present day Disciples of Jesus, who are on the same page as Jesus, our Lord and Savior: yesterday, today and tomorrow.