Cut It Off

Jesus wants what he paid for and he paid for our freedom…from sin and separation from the Father. He is so adamant that he even gets super dramatic about it in today’s gospel. I love that Jesus resorts to hyperbole to make this very important point because I may or may not be guilty of being a bit dramatic in my own storytelling and now I can just claim that if it works for Jesus it works for me!! He leads in with identity and service giving us the proper place from which to begin all that we do, “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lost his reward.” Belonging to Christ (knowing whose we are), and service in the Name of Jesus is where we start. And when sin creeps into our mission and begins to bend our ear toward lies and things that are not of the Lord, Jesus urges us to get rid of it as permanently as we can, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.” I’m sure none of you have done the inventory of body parts that can cause sin and imagining Jesus telling us to “cut it off!” but I have and well, I’ll just leave it at that. Jesus gives us a litany of reasons why it is best to cut the sin out of our lives, “it is better for you to enter into life maimed, crippled, and with one eye, than to be thrown into Gehenna with all your limbs.” And my favorite Jesus point maker today, “it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Wow…talk about drama! Jesus really wants us to understand that life apart from God, minus a relationship with Christ, and outside of the grace of the Holy Spirit is really a life of slavery and the agony is unquenchable. 

Jesus’ heart for each one of us moves him in such a way that he needs to make this point and make it as clearly and as imperatively as possible. Say no to sin and anything that causes us to sin because sin is separation from God and that means separation from love. Love is the only way we can be free and sin takes us out of love. He doesn’t want heaven without us and so he longs to teach us how to stay in love. His reference to salt is a reference to the fire of the Holy Spirit, the love of the Father, and the Words of Jesus that will keep the salt salty. Salt is used to increase the heat of a fire, but when it loses its essence there is no more increase. We can’t give what we don’t have and that is why Jesus wants us to cut out the things that cut us off from receiving God’s love. God’s love is endless and extravagant, but sin closes us off to receiving that love and then we lose our essence. 

So what are the things that I need to cut off in order to stay in God’s love? What attachments, behaviors, and mindsets continue to steal my freedom? How can I replenish the salt so that I can continue to increase the love of God that is released into the world? As we get closer to Lent, perhaps we can all do an inventory of the things that need to be cut off and focus on the freedom that Jesus wants for all of us. It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 SIR 5:1-8

Rely not on your wealth;
say not: "I have the power."
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: "Who can prevail against me?"
or, "Who will subdue me for my deeds?"
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: "I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?"
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: "Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive."
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wealth,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.

Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6

R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Alleluia SEE 1 THES 2:13

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 9:41-50

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,   
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed   
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled   
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. 

"Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another."

Share The Wealth

I slept in today so my gospel reflection will be short and sweet. Share the wealth. Rejoice in one another as God unwraps His extravagant gifts in our lives. Honor the Christ living in each person. Do not be jealous when others advance in the Spirit or surpass your own spiritual growth. The body of Christ is diverse and rich and meant for everyone to have a specific part and we need to celebrate that richness. The enemy wants to divide us, hence the name diabolical (comes from the Greek word for slanderer), and Jesus wants to unite us always (communion). Guard against things like envy, jealousy, and pride because it stifles the Spirit. Let’s focus on rejoicing in each other today and letting the Holy Spirit do God’s thing. Jesus wants us to be with one another and not against one another. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 SIR 4:11-19

Wisdom breathes life into her children
and admonishes those who seek her.
He who loves her loves life; 
those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.
He who holds her fast inherits glory;
wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the LORD loves.
He who obeys her judges nations;
he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.
If one trusts her, he will possess her;
his descendants too will inherit her.
She walks with him as a stranger
and at first she puts him to the test;
Fear and dread she brings upon him
and tries him with her discipline
until she try him by her laws and trust his soul.
Then she comes back to bring him happiness
and reveal her secrets to them
and she will heap upon him 
treasures of knowledge and an understanding of justice.
But if he fails her, she will abandon him
and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:165, 168, 171, 172, 174, 175

R. (165a)  O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
My lips pour forth your praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
May my tongue sing of your promise,
for all your commands are just.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Alleluia JN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 9:38-40

John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us."

Stooped Down

Today’s gospel reminds us that humility is one of the most important characteristics of a true Christian. Jesus wanted some private teaching time with the disciples because he needed to start preparing them for his passion and death. What greater example of humility is there than laying your life down for someone? I love that Jesus wanted to teach them privately about these challenging issues. I know that Jesus also does that with me. He meets me in the depths of my soul to reveal difficult things that I need to deal with, but he does so with tenderness and intimacy and privacy so that I will not be humiliated in any way and more able to look honestly at these things. This is the mercy with which Jesus always wants to meet us. He tried explaining that “the Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” This teaching did not even compute and like a typical high school classroom, no one wanted to ask any questions because they freaked out. Raise your hand if you have ever been afraid to ask for clarification on something that you did not understand. Well Jesus is one of those teachers that LOVES to answer our questions so speak up! 

As the scene unfolds we get the impression that some in the group were not even listening or paying attention as the Savior of the world was giving his retreat talk, because Jesus asked, “’What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they remained silent. For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” Again, back to high school we go!! Imagine Jesus telling them about his darkest hour and they are having a whose muscles are bigger contest in the back of the pack!! I know that I am guilty of letting pride and jealousy get in the way of me hearing what Jesus is trying to teach me. I have let my own lack of understanding close me off to him and turn back toward myself. But Jesus is so kind and patient and took this opportunity to love them back into relationship with him. It is one of those challenging heart to hearts that only a good soul friend can have. Here’s the deal guys…“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.’ Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.’”  It’s not about being big and puffy, friends, it’s about being small and squishy. Children were the least of in ancient Middle Eastern culture and men especially would have little or nothing to do with them, yet Jesus wrapped his arms around the child and commanded them to receive the little one. In receiving the little one, we must become little. In order to put our arms around the small, we must bend down and make ourselves small. This is the proper positioning of a Christian, stooped down to be among and receive the lowly. Pulling UP the downcast with encouragement and love is the highest honor. 

Jesus started today’s teaching with his own display of humility in his accepting his own passion and death, stooping down to meet us in our sinfulness, but then showing us that God wants to raise us up. One can only be raised from a low place and that low place is where we embrace the lowly. When we choose that portion, we choose to allow Jesus to pull us up and into sacrificial love. He was a servant to all as he stretched out his arms in humility, and we are called to also stretch ourselves in humility to wrap our arms around the little ones. So let’s let our biggest muscle competition be a biggest heart celebration. Let’s stoop down today and pull people up into a deeper relationship with Jesus who is waiting with open arms. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 SIR 2:1-11

My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.

You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?  
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.

Responsorial Psalm PS 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

R. (see 5)  Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty. 
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones. 
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him. 
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.

Alleluia GAL 6:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it. 
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men 
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise." 
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?" 
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest. 

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,   
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." 
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,   
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."

This Kind

I think I’ll just start with the punch line from today’s gospel, “This kind can only come out through prayer.” My prayer group and I have a saying, “you’re all prayed up”, which refers to our commitment to daily prayer as a way to prepare us for those times when “more” is required. Daily prayer widens our heart and deepens our faith in a way that situational prayer cannot. Spending habitual time in His presence increases our capacity to speak life into every situation including the scene in today’s gospel. The disciples had faith and had been healing the sick and driving out demons all over the place, however, this particular case had them stumped. It seemed they were lacking a reserve of time spent in the presence of God to take full authority over this boy’s particular affliction. Sometimes we are depleted of resources for whatever reason…lack of sleep, lack of energy, just that time of the month, extra stress, nutrition, too busy, lack of focus, etc. The same can be true in our spirit and a practice of daily prayer, habitual soaking in His presence, fasting to strengthen our faith, spending time in the Word, and worship can restore our depleted spirit in a way nothing else can: not good works, not best intentions, not fancy words, not doing religious stuff, etc. The disciples knew that Jesus spent time daily in His Father’s presence because he was constantly stealing away for prayer. And it was out of that place of prayer that Jesus could face the severity of this boy’s affliction. 

I love the transparency of the boy’s father in this story. They had been seeking healing for their son since he was a child and perhaps their faith had been stretched a bit thin. Raise your hand if you have ever prayed for someone for years and years. It seems that everyone, no matter how strong your faith, might become a bit weary at some point. The man was at the end of his hope and one little word made all the difference in his pleading with Jesus, “IF you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus responds, “’IF you can!’” “IF”? This was the great opening for Jesus to teach us that, “everything is possible to the one who has faith.” Right away, the man admits, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” What an amazing statement. This always hits me right in the middle of my own soul. I feel like I believe, however, I know I definitely struggle with unbelief and the only way to deal with that reality is to give it to Jesus. Once the man surrendered his unbelief and asked Jesus to help him with that, the boy was healed. The fact of the matter is that our faith cannot increase unless we spend time in the presence of God and then surrender any deficiency that we still have to Jesus. Confidence in God’s ability to heal ALL is only realized when we spend time enveloped in His love for us. Jesus knew that the disciples needed this key component to up their game. The boy’s father gave us a great prayer to remind us that we cannot do anything from our own authority, but when we give Jesus permission to come in and work through us, EVERYTHING is possible. 

“This kind can only come out through prayer.” Raise your hand if you have a “this kind” of situation in your life or in the life of someone you love right now. I do, but now I know that I simply need to spend time in the presence of my Father and surrender any doubt I have to Jesus, for “everything is possible to the one who has faith.” Help my unbelief, Jesus, and let my soaking in His presence release your presence into every “this kind” of situation. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 SIR 1:1-10

All wisdom comes from the LORD
and with him it remains forever, and is before all time
The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain,
the days of eternity: who can number these?
Heaven's height, earth's breadth,
the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?
Before all things else wisdom was created;
and prudent understanding, from eternity.
The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom
and her ways are everlasting.
To whom has wisdom's root been revealed?
Who knows her subtleties?
To whom has the discipline of wisdom been revealed?
And who has understood the multiplicity of her ways ?
There is but one, wise and truly awe-inspiring,
seated upon his throne:
There is but one, Most High 
all-powerful creator-king and truly awe-inspiring one,
seated upon his throne and he is the God of dominion.
It is the LORD; he created her through the Holy Spirit,
has seen her and taken note of her.
He has poured her forth upon all his works,
upon every living thing according to his bounty;
he has lavished her upon his friends.

Responsorial Psalm PS 93:1AB, 1CD-2, 5

R.(1a)  The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength. 
R.The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD. 
R.The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days. 
R.The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Alleluia SEE 2 TM 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 9:14-29

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him. 
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” 
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around   
and foam at the mouth. 
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?” 
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Who Does He Say You Are?

Yesterday’s gospel and today’s gospel are almost the same story with the exception of our friend Peter’s response. In both gospels Peter enthusiastically answers the Jesus question, “You are the Christ.” Yay, Peter!! Good job, buddy! You got this! And in yesterday’s gospel from Mark, Peter takes Jesus aside and “rebukes” him because Jesus was talking about suffering, and rejection, and death, and resurrection, and Peter was uncomfortable with this kind of truth. He thought it best for Jesus to keep these “challenging” and “vague” concepts on the down low for fear that someone might get the wrong (or right) impression. And then we have the giant Jesus rebuke, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Oi vey, poor Pete! How many times have I taken Jesus aside and told him that his plan or his way was not my preferred method and that perhaps we should do things my way? Oi vey, silly Jen! Jesus rebukes the lie that Satan has whispered into Peter’s ear that the Messiah should only speak about rainbows and unicorns and not about anything difficult, challenging, or uncomfortable. 

Fast forward to today’s gospel from Matthew: Peter enthusiastically answers the Jesus question, “You are the Christ.” Yay, Peter!! Good job, buddy! You got this! And Jesus replies, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Was the Peter in today’s gospel someone altogether different than yesterdays? Nope, same dude, and probably still had the same lie whispered in his brain, however, Jesus chose encouragement rather than rebuke to pull the gift of Peter’s “rockiness” out of him. The fact of the matter is that a rock is solid and strong, but a rock is also hardheaded, stubborn, and well, sometimes stupid. Jesus pulls out the goodness in Peter’s character with words of encouragement, trust, and love. Peter’s immediate and enthusiastic response to the Jesus question showed his boldness and it is that kind of boldness and raw passion that is required to serve in God’s kingdom. Yay, Peter!! Good job, buddy! You got this! Jesus also showed Peter that the truth of revelation of the Christ came from God, rather than the lies that Satan tries to peddle. Which voice do I listen to? 

I always wonder what name Jesus would give me if I were in this story and that might be a great question for each of us to ponder today. Remember that Jesus only sees the gold in us and while that gold may need some refining, if we respond to him with all that we are, and if we let the voice of God be the loudest voice we listen to, he will respond to us with the keys to unlock that treasure within us. Sometimes, we need rebuke as a reminder to ignore the lies that constantly bombard our thinking and most of the time we need encouragement as a reminder that Jesus not only loves us, but also trusts us with the mission of bringing his love and mercy into the world. Today I heard Jesus say, “Jennifer, SERVER, on this heart, I build my church.” What does he call you? It is well with my soul. 

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
Lectionary: 535

Reading 1 1 PT 5:1-4

Beloved:
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly,
as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 4, 5, 6

R. (1)  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia MT 16:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply, 
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

Memory Care

Today’s gospel immediately brought my friends living on the Memory Care floor where I work to mind. They are a beautiful example of the main thing in today’s gospel, “Who do you say that I am?” One of the very first things I realized when I started doing music therapy in memory care is how important one’s name really is. Nothing engages the memory like a song especially from their past, but when we would sing their name in a song, lights would actually come on inside their eyes and their souls would leap up and down at the sound of their name. I remember the first time I experienced this beautiful surge of souls because it stopped me mid-song with tears and a giant lump in my throat. We all just want to be known and the calling of our name and even more, the singing of our name means that someone knows who we are. My friends have no idea who I am, but the important thing is that I know who they are and whose they are. Each one is a beloved child of God with a name and a soul and a life that gives my life its purpose. To recognize Christ living within them, even when they forget, is the great privilege of my life and all those that care for them. I’ve witnessed more compassion, more tenderness, more kindness, and more Jesus in the caretakers on the Memory Care floor than in any other “ministry” I have ever been a part of. So when Jesus asked his friends today, “Who do you say that I am?” it tugged at my heart because our identity is so very important that even the creator of the universe wants to know. 

Jesus wasn’t interested in what people in general had to say, he wanted to know who his intimate friends thought he was. I know for me I get caught up in what others think about me and I am constantly having to remember who do my friends and family say that I am for they are the ones that truly know me. So the question is, what category do you put yourself in this morning? “People in general” or “intimate friends” with Jesus? Several months ago a friend of mine challenged me to pray with this particular gospel by hearing Jesus say, “Jen, who do you say that I am?” and also asking him, “Jesus, who do you say that I am?” I was encouraged to journal my answers and at first it was difficult because I thought I was just making stuff up in my head and it seemed kind of forced, however, the more I practiced it, the more it became. I was challenged to do it for 30 days, but have kept doing it daily because I love telling Jesus who he is in my life and hearing him tell me who I am in his. There have been so many tender expressions in this daily exchange and my intimacy with Jesus has deepened in a way I could never have anticipated. This one question, “Who do you say that I am?” can soften hearts like no other for it is our identity in Christ that launches us into everything we do. In order to know ourselves, we must first know him, and in that knowing, our identity will light up, just like my memory care friends do when they hear their name sung in a song. 

There are days when I suffer from spiritual memory loss and forget who and whose I am in Jesus, so he gently sings my name, calling me back into intimacy with him, and he asks me, “Jen, who do you say that I am?” When I tell him, he tenderly responds with who he says that I am, and my forgetfulness is restored. One of my favorite daily exchanges with Jesus is, “Jesus, you are the love of my life. Jen, you are my favorite.”  It is vital for us to know who Jesus is so that we can know who we are. I encourage you to pray with these questions today and perhaps journal your response and Jesus’ response to you. Just like my friends in memory care, we might not remember who we are, but Jesus always recognizes us and he not only knows our name, he can sing our names in the most beautiful song so that our souls light up with being known. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 GN 9:1-13

God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them:
“Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth.
Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth
and all the birds of the air,
upon all the creatures that move about on the ground
and all the fishes of the sea;
into your power they are delivered. 
Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat;
I give them all to you as I did the green plants. 
Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat.
For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting:
from every animal I will demand it,
and from one man in regard to his fellow man   
I will demand an accounting for human life.

If anyone sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed;
For in the image of God
has man been made.

Be fertile, then, and multiply;
abound on earth and subdue it.”

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, 
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 AND 22-23

R. (20b)  From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
 The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer. 
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.” 
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion,
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Alleluia SEE JN 6:63C, 68C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:27-33

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
 
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”