What It Takes to Be A Follower of Jesus

(Readings: Revelation 10:8-11;
Psalm 119: 14, 24, 72, 103, 111, &131; and Luke 19:45-48)

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord: I know them and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

This was our gospel acclamation today, and it describes very well two men that Jesus called to follow him, who became two of the most important men in Christian history: St. Peter and St. Paul. 

Yes, even though they were sinful humans just like all of us, they never let the devil win. When they sinned, they always turned back to Jesus, sought his forgiveness, and with the help of his grace risked everything for the sake of the gospel, both eventually giving their lives for the Lord. 

St. Peter, the rock, is who Jesus chose to give the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to and set as the foundation of the Church. 

St. Paul, a man who at one time was so blinded by the devil that he actually participated in the killing of Christians, but after being called by Jesus had a conversion of faith, became a Christian, and spread the gospel far and wide to the gentiles. He also wrote more than half the books of the New Testament!

Today we celebrate the memorial of The Dedication of two of the great basilicas of Rome, which were built in honor of these men at the locations of where they were originally laid to rest. Of course, these basilicas are St Peter’s and St. Paul - Outside the Walls. 

Both basilicas were originally built in the fourth century by the emperor Constantine, and both also had to eventually be rebuilt, St. Peter’s because of structural damage and St. Paul – Outside the Walls because of fire. 

These two saints should be examples of hope and conversion for all of us, because if these two great sinners, by their “yes” to God, and God’s grace, can be converted from sinner to saint, we can be as well, no matter how sinful our past has been. 

Our goal in life should be to become saints like them by living according to God’s will for our life, proclaiming the gospel in all that we think, do and say, and humbly seeking God’s forgiveness, mercy and love when we fall short. 

In today’s gospel we see Jesus upset at those selling things in the temple. But why was Jesus so upset? The doves, sheep, and cattle for sale were a necessary part of their worship. 

He was upset because, as he said, they had made his house of prayer a den of thieves.

They were overcharging and cheating those coming to worship, making it so that those who were poor didn’t have the money to worship at the temple at all. It would be like if today you went to St. Peter’s and, at the door, they were selling Altar Bread and if you didn’t buy it, you couldn’t receive Holy Communion. Ridiculous!

And not only that! They were also charging exorbitant prices for the Altar Bread, forcing you to change your money into their currency, and cheating you in exchange rate as well. When we think of it this way, it is easy to see that Jesus was justified in his actions.

We also remember today St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, A French nun who was sent to the United States in 1818, when she was forty-nine years of age. She founded a boarding school for daughters of pioneers near St. Louis and opened the first free school west of the Missouri. At the age of seventy-one, she began a school for Indians, who soon came to call her "The woman who is always praying."

Here again we see a great example for us to follow in St. Rose: A woman from a foreign land who dedicated her life to the service of God and neighbor, no matter where God sent her.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord: I know them and they follow me."

These exceptional examples of what a Christian should be that we see in saints Peter, Paul, and Rose should prompt us to ask ourselves the question, “Where am I in my relationship with the Lord and what is he calling me to do to serve him today? How do I surrender myself to God, body, mind, and soul so that, through me, God can bless everyone I encounter?”

Our first reading today reminds us that it won’t be easy. St. John consumes the word of God, as we should, and it tasted sweet as honey, much like it often does when we focus on God’s word in the Bible or hear a great homily. But after he consumed the word of God, his stomach turned sour because God was then calling him to use what he had learned.

God called him to prophesy to peoples, nations, and kings. I think the stress of doing that would cause anyone’s stomach to sour, and while we probably won’t be called to prophesy, as Christians we are called to witness our faith to others. To share with others our love of Jesus and why we strive to live according to the will of God and the teachings of his Church. 

Or as St. Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the3 will of God, than for doing evil.” 

This scripture makes it clear that we may suffer, we may get stressed and sick to our stomach when sharing our faith with those who oppose us, and this will most likely come from family and friends who have chosen not to follow God and His Church, thinking they know better. 

But that is why when talking about the faith with someone, we always do it with gentleness and reverence as St. Peter tells us. Not falling into the trap of arguing and risking pushing them farther away and most importantly by living our faith, giving them a good example to follow.

Brothers and Sisters Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice: I know them and they follow me.” Let us always listen for the voice of Jesus and have the faith and courage to follow him to wherever we are called. 

Amen.