By: By Sister Rachel Bergschneider, OSB

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sept. 16

Isaiah 50:5-9a; Psalm 116:1-2,3-4,5-6,8-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35

How many times have you heard the question, “Who do you say he/she is?” We don’t always ask it with these words, but we do inquire about who people are all the time. And we wonder how others would answer that question about us — though we usually don’t ask it.

Learning who someone else is takes time — lots of time to have an accurate picture of the person rather than our own judgment of them.
The disciples gave Jesus quite a few responses when He asked them the question, “Who do you say I am?”

“John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets,” they responded. Peter thinks he has the right answer: “You are the Christ.” The problem was that Peter didn’t really know who Jesus was because he immediately proceeds to disagree with Jesus when Jesus explained that He “must suffer greatly and be rejected . . . be killed, and rise after three days.”

Peter didn’t seem to want to know that about Jesus. It was not Peter’s idea of Jesus. “Get behind me Satan,” Jesus responds to Peter. “You do not think as God thinks.”

MAKING ROOM FOR GOD
It is impossible to know Jesus if we don’t allow ourselves to “get inside” who Jesus is. Listening is imperative to know the real Jesus. Our society does not promote such reflection. Just think of your days this last week: how much time did you give to listening — really listening to Jesus? I don’t mean you talking in prayer, but being totally quiet to listen to the Lord. How can He get a word in if we are doing all the talking in prayer?

I had the most amazing experience the second day of school at St. Thomas. I took every class to church to spend some time in quiet. It was deliberate quiet. We sat up straight, put our feel on the floor, closed our eyes and listened to Jesus tell us what we are thankful for. I was simply astounded that not one student — from grade one through eight — fidgeted and became distracted or wanted to open their eyes. They seemed to love the quiet. I did not feel they were even ready to conclude the quiet.

We all need and like quiet, but we have to make room for it. We have to make room for the Lord to get through all the barriers and distractions that flood our minds and hearts.

James, in the second reading, balances us in our faith journey. Faith cannot be totally mystical or introverted. James tells us that faith is not mature without regard for others: “What good is it if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? Faith without works is dead.”

Works do not justify our faith. Works are the testament that we have come to know Jesus and understood His message that we are responsible for each other. We cannot turn our backs and hope that Jesus will speak beautiful words comfort to us.

The words and actions of Jesus are very demanding. They include the cross. If we choose to create our own sense of faith and understanding of Jesus instead of surrendering to the real Jesus, we are, indeed, going to hear the words that Jesus spoke to Peter, “Get behind me Satan. You are not thinking as God does, but as human beings do.”

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SISTER RACHEL Bergschneider, OSB, is a member of the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island. She serves as pastoral associate at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Peoria Heights.