Timothy M. Dolan - Who Do You Say I Am?: Daily Reflections on the Bible, the Saints, and the Answer That Is Christ

What do you think is the most important question in life?

If youre very sick and contemplating surgery, I guess its Doctor, am I going to live?

If youre a young man head over heels in love, I suppose its Will you marry me?

If youre a student who just completed a pivotal exam, its Did I pass?

If youre on the Atkins diet, its How many carbs are in that?

What is the most important question in life? I propose to you that we need look no further than one asked by Jesus: Who do you say I am? Upon the answer to that most important question, everything else depends.

Actually, Jesus asks two questions. The first is, Who do the crowds say I am? So He asks us out of curiosity today, Who does the worldthe public opinion polls, the culture, society, the experts, other peoplewho do they all say I am? Thats easy to answer: Well, Lord, they think youre a nice guy, a loving leader, a marvelous teacher, a good model for us, a great religious figure who ranks up there with Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, Confucius, Buddha; some think youre a revolutionary, a healer, a reformer, a positive thinker, a giver.

Jesus smilesand then comes that most important question of all. Fine: Thats who they think I am. But who do you say I am? Upon the answer to that question hangs everythingthe direction of our life, our attitude to life, how we act, what we say, what we hope for, the salvation of our soulsWho do you say I am?

We can reply, Lord, Ive never really thought about it. Sad, tragic, hypocritical really, since we check the box marked Christian or Catholic when asked to designate our religion, and we are at His supper on the first day of the week.

We can answer, Lord, I have different opinions about you and havent made up my mind yet. I dont want to be closed-minded about this. Sad, tragic, an insult, since He has, as a matter of fact, already revealed to us the answer to that pivotal question and since we belong to a Church that has cherished the reply for two millennia as a supreme act of faith.

Or we can give the correct answer, the one given by Saint Peter: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God; you are my Lord and Savior; you are my beginning and my end; you are the way, the truth, and the life; you are God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, from whom all good things come. You are the most important person in my life; Jesus, who lives in me, who accompanies me always, who knows me better than I know myself, who loves me so much that you died for me, who rose from the dead and wants me to spend eternity with you. You are the answer to the questions posed by every human life. Thats who you are, Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all.

Theres the right answer! Theres the act of faith! Theres the reply of Peter and of the Church founded on the rock of his faith.

Now get ready, because the answer to that question has towering implications in our liveshow we live, what we say, what we choose, how we treat ourselves, how we treat others.

Every day we must ask ourselves this question anew: Who do you say I am?

I hope this book helps you journey every day toward answeringand living outthat question.

Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Last week, billions of people celebrated a mother and the birth of her baby. Children around the world pointed at the newborn child in the Nativity scene and asked, Whos that? and parents and grandparents whispered, Thats Jesus, Our Lord and Savior. Then the same children pointed to Mary and inquired, And whos that? and the answer was: Thats His mother. Without her, Christmas could not have happened.

We Catholics passionately love our Church. As in our families, we are born into the Church at Baptism. Like a mother, she feeds us in the Eucharist, forgives us in Reconciliation, strengthens us in Confirmation, consoles us with the Anointing of the Sick, and gives us away in Matrimony or Holy Orders.

In this family of faith, we look to Mary as our own spiritual mothera mother who guides and protects us. Mary never went to college, yet we call her Sede Sapientiaethe Seat of Wisdomas she gave flesh to Wisdom, to the Word, to the eternal Son of God. Her virtues? Listening, reflecting, pondering, wondering, serving, and trusting. Her fiat, her proclamation: Be it done unto me according to thy word. Mary is wise because she accepts Gods will. She gives us Jesus, who shows us the way, teaches us the truth, and shares with us His life.

Thats why the Blessed Mother is the greatest of all the saints, because she is the closest to her divine Son and wants nothing more than to draw us close to Him.

He will never fail you or forsake you.

DEUTERONOMY 31:6

One of the central messages of Christianity is this: We have a God who simply will not take no for an answer!

Think about it: It started in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything, every gift, all happiness, intimacy with God, eternal life, no woe, war, or sicknessand they told God