MY SOUL IS THIRSTY Matthew 16: st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A Fr. Michael Brizio, IMC

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1 Page 1 of 6 MY SOUL IS THIRSTY Matthew 16: st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A Fr. Michael Brizio, IMC On the top of the Corcovado Mountain overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro there is the famous Cristo Redentor - the reinforced concrete and soapstone Christ the Redeemer statue, which stands 98 feet tall, and weighs 635 tons. No tourist goes to Rio without climbing up the Corcovado to see this impressive monument: the head alone is 9 feet tall, and the span from fingertip to fingertip is 92 feet; and if you live in Rio, you can find your direction by looking up to the Cristo Redentor. I had known this monument only through National Geographic magazine, but no magazine can truly capture the splendor and majesty of Cristo Redentor. As I was looking at the towering statue, I couldn t help but notice the blind eyes. Now, I know what you are thinking - all statues have blind eyes. You are right, they do. But it was as if the sculptor of this statue intended that the eyes be blind because there are no pupils to suggest vision, and there are no circles to suggest sight, but only openings. I lowered my field glasses to my waist, and in my mind I heard Jesus asking the question he asked in today s Gospel: Who do people say I am? Do they say I am a blind redeemer, eyes scanning the horizon from the top of a mountain, but not looking down to the 10 million people working, playing, struggling, or living in poverty at my feet? As I again raised my lenses to the statue, I saw another thing which gave me a chill. I followed the features downward - past the strong nose, the prominent chin and thick neck. And my focus came to rest on the cloak of the statue, where on the outside of it, there is a simple heart, a stone heart.

2 Page 2 of 6 And within me I heard Jesus asking again the same question he posed 2,000 years ago at Caesarea Philippi, Do people think that I am a redeemer with a heart made of stone, held together by concrete and mortar, but not with passion and love for each one of you? Do they say I am a redeemer like this: blind eyes and cold stony heart? Sometimes, for some of us Jesus is like a good luck charm: it fits in the pocket, is handy, does not weigh much, does not need much attention or demand commitment. We can frame the picture of Christ and put it on our bedroom s wall or glue him to the dashboard, or make him hang from our neck or from the rearview mirror. And, when we no longer need him to win the lottery, find a parking space or pass the exam, we can put him back in our wallet. During his final weeks Jesus asked his disciples a probing question, Who do you say I am? Note Jesus did not ask, What do you think about my teachings about God, or, what do you think about my opinions on social issues, or, what do you think about my ability to lead people? After three years of ministry, hundreds of miles, thousands of miracles, innumerable hours of teachings, Peter declared his faith in Jesus saying: You are the Son of the living God.

3 Page 3 of 6 With Peter we believe that although Jesus had the appearance of a man, he had the heart and mind of God; although Jesus wore the face of a carpenter, he was the human face of God; although Jesus was born in a stable, he was the uncreated God made flesh; although Jesus was sinless, he took up residence among us - people contaminated by sin; although Jesus was of one being with the Father, he became like one of us so that we could trust him with our lives; and although Jesus spoke our language, in him we heard God speaking to us words of compassion, forgiveness and acceptance. No wonder then, that at his touch blind beggars saw, at his command crippled legs walked, at his words empty lives filled with vision and hope; and from the moment they first met Him, many could no longer go back to the old way of life and see the world as they had seen it before.

4 Page 4 of 6 I often ask myself what expression Peter would have used to describe Jesus, if he had lived here in our time. Several words came to my mind, but they are all pathetically inadequate. Then I started to think about what we today truly believe in, eagerly hope for, and really look for. What we value most in our lives is a parent on whom we can always count, or a close friend on whom we can rely in any circumstance. We most value a brother or sister who will go through hell and high water for us, or a spouse who will stand with us to the very end. Today s Gospel assures us that in Jesus we have such unconditional friend, brother, spouse or parent. Jesus is the one who is there for us at all times, in every situation, in our deserts and high water.

5 Page 5 of 6 He will go through cross after cross with us and for us; he gives his very life for us; his grace and power will never be exhausted. And, if we need a strong hand to hold on in this life and the next, we will always find one in his. Peter did not have to wonder long whether he had gone far enough in proclaiming his faith in Jesus. Listen again to Jesus promise to Peter in today s Gospel: On you and your weak companions faith, I will build my Church, and the forces of Satan and evil will not prevail against it. How crucial it is also for us to be aware that sin and evil will not prevail in, and around us because Jesus, the Son of living God, has overcome it with his resurrection; and one word from him and Satan has nothing to say and cannot do us any harm. How comforting it is to know that evil and sin no longer have the authority to keep us prisoners within their gates; and death and defeat do not have the last word. How encouraging it is to understand that Christ will endure to the end of time, and he will not lose us; and that He will protect us, keep us safe, and will get us home.

6 Page 6 of 6 And when we firmly believe that Jesus is the living God, we will never again think that violence is being strong and that meekness is being weak; we will never again believe that sharing is losing and that riches are happiness. When we firmly trust Jesus as God made flesh, we will never again suspect that God s mercy and compassion is in short supply and it is dished out meagerly; and we will never again suggest that our forgiveness is to be given only to a deserving few. And, when we truly hope in Christ as the God with us we will never again feel that prayer is only for pressure situations; and we will never again say that passion for justice is being extremist. Only God could do what we would never have dared to imagine: that through a simple morsel of bread and a drop of wine we are brought here and now to the presence of Christ, the Son of the living God, and through them we are nourished by His Body and Blood. Let us renew our faith and trust in Christ. Let us commit our lives to him he is the only one worth following to the end of our lives.