Knowing Jesus

Homily for January 3, 2025

Each of us can reflect on where we are, in terms of knowing Jesus. Each of us can probably relate to a time when we knew "about" Jesus, and may have "practiced" that faith, to one degree or another. But, the experience of knowing Jesus - experiencing his love and mercy, personally - is quite powerful. It is freeing, emboldening, and it sets us apart from the world around us and its ways.

As an example, look at how the world views success. Our world's language has ways of describing a successful person, a successful family, a successful career, or even what parents mean when they say their children have become successful. We know what those signs are. In some ways, they will have to do with honor, money, status.

However, once we know Jesus personally - once that encounter with his unconditional love and mercy has overwhelmed us - everything changes. Success is then defined in terms of whatever helps me become closer to him and his ways. It involves humility, dying to myself, and service of others and the common good. Ultimately, it means taking on his mission to include others, forgive them, heal them, and share with them the joy of the Good News of his love. And, the sign of that highest degree of success is that we will embrace the gift of eternal life with him forever in heaven.

I suspect that the people of Jerusalem would not have seen John the Baptist as a successful person. However, it was he who first recognized Jesus, who knew who Jesus was before anyone other than his mother and foster father. It was he who first recognized him as the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world. He accomplished the highest degree of success.

I am sure that we all aspire to be children of God, people who know Jesus intimately. As we receive him in the Eucharist today, express your desire to know him intimately. Aspire to the highest degree of success for any disciple of Jesus. For as St. John reminds us, when we truly see him, we shall become like him.