Homily for September 13

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Homily for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Scriptures for today's Mass)

Audio for homily

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Jesus poses simple but penetrating questions

as he does here when he asks,  “Who do you say that I am?”

Last night I celebrated Mass for my high school classmates

at our 50^th reunion.

I invited them to think back a half-century

to how we might have answered Jesus’ question

as graduating seniors from Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody.

- Who was Jesus for us when we were 17/18 years old?

- Who did we say Jesus was for us in college?

- And how did we answer that same question

as we married, had children, raised families

and met the situations and circumstances,

the joys and happiness,

the losses and pain that come into every life?

In the good times and in the bad times

how have we answered the question,

 “Who do you say that I am.”

The stark simplicity of Jesus’ question is disarming.

It reduces the whole equation to two terms:

me and Jesus, face to face -

and puts the burden on me to say who he is in my life.

In a sense, my job as the preacher is easy this weekend.

It’s my task to make sure we hear the Lord’s question,

and ask ourselves:

 “Who do I say Jesus is?”

Truth is, many of us may have more than one answer to the question.

• Who I say Jesus is - on Sunday morning -

might be different than who I say he is when I’m at work,

in the middle of the week.

On Sundays I might feel free sing his praise

but on Wednesday I might be slow even to mention his name.

• Who I say Jesus is when I’m struggling with pain and loss

might be different than who I say he is when all’s going well.

The Lord is quick to point out in the gospel here

that the weight of the cross will burden those

who want to follow him.

Sometimes our suffering deepens our faith in Jesus,

but sometimes, in our pain, we feel he’s forgotten or abandoned us.

• Who I say Jesus is might change, a lot, as I grow older.

As I grow from childhood into adolescence

and from my teens into young adulthood,

and on to shouldering life’s greater responsibilities,

and in many ways ,

in every phase of my life my response to the Lord’s question,

 “Who do you say that I am?” will change

and in many ways it should change as I change, and grow,

and learn and deepen my faith and understanding.

Indeed, there’s a problem if my answer to that question today

is the same one I gave when I was a child.

Jesus doesn’t change but: We. Do.

As I change, as I grow, as I deepen my faith,

so will my understanding of who Jesus is

change and grow and deepen.

So, the question for us today

is the question Jesus asked 2,000 years ago:

 “Who do I say Jesus is?”

How has my reply changed over the years,                        

and how does it need to continue to change?

But most important of all: who do I say Jesus is today

- September 13, 2015?

We’re gathered at this table because we believe, we say

that Jesus is the Bread of our lives and Cup of our salvation.

May the sacrament we celebrate and receive here,

give us Jesus…

(Sung: I closed my homily singing "Give Me Jesus"
with the assembly joining in on the refrain - all of
which you can hear on the audio widget above)

In the morning when I rise, in the morning when I rise,

in the morning when I rise: give me Jesus!

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus!

You may have all this world, give me Jesus…

In my troubles ‘long the way, in my troubles ‘long the way,

in my troubles ‘long the way: give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus!

You may have all this world, give me Jesus…

Oh, and when my days are done, oh and when my days are done,

oh and when my days are done: give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus!

You may have all this world, give me Jesus…

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