​“Who do you say that I am?”

A Sunday school teacher asked Charlie, “do you remember your memory verse?” Then Charlie, “I sure do. I even remember the zip code…Matthew 16:16.”
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One of the social phenomena in the modern world is opinion polls. These are conducted everywhere, especially in the political and commercial spheres. One day Jesus also wanted to do an opinion poll, but for a different purpose. He was not looking for approval ratings, but he was looking for relationship ratings. Jesus used every opportunity to teach his disciples and the common people. Jesus asked them, “Who do people say that the son of man is?” They answered: "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus was preparing them to answer a bigger or personal question. So he immediately followed his first question with a second: “Who do you say that I am?"
 
It is not an easy question. There was a silence. Then Simon Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” How we answer this will determine how we relate to Jesus. Is He someone I can trust? Is He someone who loves, forgives, wants the best of us? Is He someone worth our time on Sundays? When we recite the Creed at Mass we give the Church our answer.  "We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father…." Do we recite this with awareness?
 
If Jesus comes to this modern world and does an opinion poll on this question, “Who do you say that I am?” What will be our answer? We need to reflect on this question as an individual, as a parish or cluster, as a universal Church. Let us memorize Charlie’s zip code, Matthew 16:16, which is Peter answering to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
 
We have an opportunity to reflect collectively on our relationship with Jesus. We will have a dynamic speaker, Rich Curran, on Sunday, November 5. After the 9:30 am Mass, please plan to stay up to 1:30 pm. Parish council members will be making phone calls to every parishioner to invite everyone for this event. We will have Daycare for younger families, 4th through 8th graders will have a youth minister to engage them. 9th grade through confirmation will be joining with adults. Kountry Kafe will be catering lunch. Please respond to the phone call from our parishes and reserve that day to pray together and reflect on evangelization. The theme for the day is “Moving Northwoods Catholic Communities from Maintenance to Mission.”
 
Let us find Him in our life…Let us do Him homage…