24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 2021
INTRO: I first met JESUS in my family’s living room. I was probably 9 or 10 years old.
It was on GOOD FRIDAY, during the three hours that Jesus was dying on the cross for us, and my parents handed us children the BIBLE telling us to BE QUIET and read the PASSION.
I saw that Jesus’s words were printed in RED and figured if I read just HIS WORDS, we would be done more quickly.
This is where I first met Jesus.
I met him again 5 or 6 years later. While in the seminary we were instructed to take a walk each day and talk to Jesus as you would talk to a friend all about your day and what was going on in your life. And I did that. We began a good friendship.
After practicing that conversation with Jesus for a few years, we were then instructed to LISTEN TO JESUS in quietness, to rest in His presence and WAIT for Him to speak rather than doing all the talking.
All in all, I was getting to KNOW HIM, to love Him and to serve Him. We became friends, partners, companions.
There is a beautiful church song that has these words …. You may know it and have heard it ……
ONLY THIS I WANT BUT TO KNOW THE LORD…and to bear His cross, so to wear the crown He wore.
We heard the APOSTLES, especially PETER, knowing JESUS, YOU ARE THE CHRIST, but then faltering on BELIEVING IN HIM that He would have to suffer, be rejected by the ELDERS, be put to death, and rise after three days!
My guess is that he hadn’t had enough time to really get to know Him. It does take YEARS to develop the deepest relationship with JESUS, to practice this prayer form.
CONCLUSION
Today, coming to CHURCH and improving your spiritual life is about really KNOWING JESUS and to believe in HIM that he had to suffer for our sake.
All of us should make TIME to walk with Christ, speak to JESUS, and LISTEN to Him.
A relationship with HIM improves our thoughts, words, and deeds. It makes us stand out as a good person. Being present to Jesus forms us in His image and likeness and helps us get through anything that comes our way!