Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus was often misunderstood in the course of his public ministry, as we have heard in today’s gospel.  Over the centuries, Jesus’ true identity as the eternal Son of God in the flesh has been obscured or stolen from him.  That’s why in our time it is so important to get the right answer to Jesus’ own question: “Who do you say I am?”

We can give the correct answer to Jesus’ question in so many ways: like when we recite the creed every Sunday we say Jesus is God from God, Light from Light, true God, begotten not made, consubstantial, one in being with the Father.  We also give the correct answer when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist with an Amen, affirming that the consecrated bread is the real sacramental presence of Christ. We give the right answer when we do what St. James urges us to do, and that is demonstrate our faith in Jesus by our good works. Jesus is the crucified savior, God’s own Son who emptied himself for our sake on the cross, and who is our advocate before the Father’s throne of grace. We know in faith that Jesus is our divine friend who laid down his life for us, and who is the source of all grace and blessing in our lives. Jesus is our Bread of Life who feeds our hunger and quenches our thirst for communion with God. May Jesus’ identity never be lost or stolen from us – and may we treasure and keep safe our identity as Jesus’ bothers and sisters, those he loved to death, those to whom he gave a share in God’ own life.