Reflection for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 15, 2024

by Cindy Wenninghoff, Notre Dame Associate

In this Gospel, Jesus asks the question, “Who do people say I am?”  And they reply “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”

But then He asks an even more important question, “Who do you say I am?”  And this is a very personal question Jesus asks each of us every day.  “Who do you say I am?”

Are we listening to the world and the noise all around us and seeing Jesus just as a prophet, someone who performed miracles, but not really part of our lives today?  Or are we listening to God and know He is the Christ, now and forever?  For in acknowledging Jesus, and his sacrifice for us, it’s a much bigger ask… we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.

And in this day and age, how do we come after Him?  In some ways I believe it goes back to the second reading, “faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead”. We must live our faith through our works each and every day, in our prayer, in following the gospel, and in our serving others.  This is a question we should ask ourselves often:

“Who do you say I am?”