Who is Jesus for me?

Gospel Thoughts

*Ordinary Season : 24th Week - Sunday*

*GOSPEL - Mk 8:27-35*

*First Reading - Is 50:5-9a*

*SECOND READING - Jas 2:14-18*

*Who is Jesus for me?*

*1) Jesus asks two important questions*

In todays Gospel we find two important questions. 

*"Who do people say that I am?”*

*“But who do you say that I am?”*

Both these questions belong to different relms and answers to these questions also differs from one question to  another question

*2) The uniqueness of the Answers*

It is rather easy to  answer the first question. This is because, we have to say the experience of other people, which we can get it easily 

To answer the second question we need to have personal experience

Since the question is addressed to the individual persons or to the disciples, they can't say, what others say about Jesus. They have to answer this question from their individual experience

So in this sense, both these questions have diffent answers. 

*3) Personal experience hidden in second question*

To answer the second question one needs to have a deep personal experience

Unless one has the personal experience one can't answer this question 

So the second question challenges us to check whether we can answer this question in our lives, based on personal, individual experience

*4) The various ways of getting personal experience*

There are many ways through which we can experience our Lord Jesus in our life 

Prayer life, 

Service to the down trodden

Showing Compassion & Mercy 

Love and Forgiveness 

Sharing and generosity

Sacramental life 

So these are the various ways through which we can have personal experience of Jesus 

*5) The purpose of our life is to have personal experience of Jesus*

The main mission of our life is to know Jesus, which can be achieved only by having a personal encounter with the Lord. 

A Christian who fails to experience Jesus, in a personal way or in a individual level our life becomes worthless

Christian spirituality highly depends on the personal or the individual experience of Jesus. 

*6) Jesus asks this question to me today*

*But who do you say that I am?”*

What is my answer to the Lord 

Mother Teresa answered this question serving the poor. For her Jesus was the one suffers in the sick people, who are left by everyone

Graham Stain saw Jesus in lepers and he served those people. It was possible only because he experienced the presence of Jesus in those people 

For Fredick Ozanam, Jesus means showing humanity and serving the poor 

So reflecting the above examples, once again we ask the same question,    *“But who do you say that I am?"*

What is my answer? 

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim Dsouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*