Who do you say that I am?
That haunting question of Jesus can be a daily examination of our conscience reviewing our behavior The answer to his question is well known to us, it is how we show him to others by our actions. Sometimes the answer can cause discomfort or pain because we stand up against popular opinion, even against the opinions of family. “You really still go to that church?”
Life teaches us that there is always a cross to bear, but finding the help and courage means turning to the Lord for comfort and solace. He carried his cross, suffered and died for us. With him guiding us we are not victims in life if we have the strength to live Christ and turn away from the temptations that surround us. Jesus tells us that in the Gospel reading,
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Anyone who actively strives to live the way of life commanded to us by Jesus is almost certain to run into opposition, rejection and even contempt. But, in the words of Paul who had his own full share of crosses, “Everything works together for good to those who love God.”
When we live our love for God we become – as Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians 3:26-29 “clothed” in Christ. That means we are united to Him together. His arms envelope us with strength and courage. In His/our family, there are no distinctions. We are to be a family in communion, free of prejudice and bigotry, bringing love, justice, reconciliation and peace to all. It is not an ideal it is a path we are to strive to live. It isn’t easy, but provides life-giving hope in times of trouble. Seeing good in all the many things we do as Christians for others and ourselves is the answer to who we say He is to us.
However, doing good does not always mean receiving good from others there can be challenges and attempts to deny the good. Yet, we cannot give up on serving Him; which helps us endure the cross. We cannot give up on fighting for what is right–even if that means our personal suffering. It means standing against bigotry and hatred, like the slaughtering death and horror -like Orlando, like the persecuted martyred Christians in Iraq and in Africa. We are to stand up for immigration reform, for gun reform laws and sales. Who needs an Uzi for hunting deer?
Fighting for what is right means standing up for human compassion for the more than 2.8 million innocent children that are refugees stranded in the Middle East and Europe, standing in strength with the compassion of Christ in us. And this might cost us tears, and sweat, and even spiritual and emotional bleeding. It will demand sacrificing our popularity at times with people who do not understand the Christ they claim. Or those who may not look for Christ in others as he calls us to do.
Standing up for our faith in Christ and our Church, we may become a social outcast. Certainly our young people know this. Those who are saving themselves for marriage, young people who don’t smoke cigarettes, pot, the young person who comes to Mass rather than sleep in? The pains are minor in comparison to the greater joy of serving God and striving to live Christ and show who we say he is in our lives. It is all worth it.
And when we make such sacrifices, when we commit to the Life of Jesus Christ, we help free others to gain a life in Christ. For they see in us the joy of living a Christian life. Following our Savior in sacrificing ourselves for the greater good, making the tough decisions in order to stay on his path is profound witness. Sacrifice for the greater good leads to peace and joy knowing we do so for His sake and others. Our actions are not for our own personal aggrandizement.
We celebrate with joy the sacredness of striving to follow Christ and claim who we say he is in the many beautiful accomplishments of our hallowed parish now celebrating 150 years of ministry and service in the Napa Valley. What a sacred legacy and what a future legacy we are building together.
We have much more to do in answering the Lord’s question. And we are called by him to walk together to accomplish the next steps we take in answering the Lord: who do you say that I am?
Blessings in His actions, Fr. Gordon