Podcast: 

homily20100620.mp3

The month of June marks the end of our fiscal year 
as a parish and as a diocese 
and it is the time of year 
we do performance evaluations with our staff.  
The process is the same both at the parish and the diocese. 
We go through a fairly standard process 
that most companies use 
where we take a set of goals from the previous year 
and we see how well we have accomplished those goals; 
we reflect upon them ourselves, 
write our accomplishments down taking the time 
to acknowledge what we have accomplished over the last year.
Basically we see how well we have done 
according to the goals we had set for ourselves.
Then we sit down with our supervisor 
and find out what they think of how well we have done.  
Then ensues a conversation that 
helps the person grow in areas where they think they need to grow 
and to be congratulated and affirmed in areas where they have grown.

Today’s gospel is not quite an evaluation of Jesus’ ministry; 
he is not actually doing a performance evaluation here 
but there are the components of an evaluation 
and a self-awareness that is going on, 
which is very important for every disciple.  
He asks the question, 
“What do all the people out there have to say about me?”  
And he says, “And what do you say about me?”  
Jesus knew who he was;
he wasn’t asking the disciples to see if they knew 
so that he could find out.
He was asking them so they would know the truth 
and to come to that realization in their own lives.

Peter, of course, jumps forward with the answer readily 
and says that Jesus is the Messiah.  
If we take a look at our own lives we would do well 
to do a performance evaluation of our own life
on what goals we have set for ourselves as Christian; 
to look at how well do we do what we claim to do.  
We all know the commandment of Christ:
to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls
and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
To love is to be kind, to be gentle, to be forgiving, etc.
How well do we do with our goal of being a Christian.
And then to ask that next question, 
“Who do others say that we are” as individuals.  
If we some solitude in prayer time as Jesus did
and looked at what was our goal in life; 
What are we like to live with?  
And ask those questions just of ourselves;  
to write down some of the things that we know that we are like
—we are easy to live with because 
we are so patient, and kind and gentle. 
Or maybe we are not so easy to live with or so kind!
To be honest with ourselves is a gift and a challenge.

Then if we are really brave, 
we could go to those people around us, 
who we trust and love and ask them
—what do you think?  
Who do you say that I am?  
How do you experience me in a day-to-day life?  
Will our spouse say that we are kind and gentle?  
Will our elderly parent, who we go to visit and take care of, 
will they think that we are kind, considerate and thoughtful?  
Do our children find that we are gentle and patient?  
As children, do our parents think that 
we are always kind and thoughtful of others, 
or are we more self centered and 
only looking after what my needs are and what I want? 

Today’s gospel goes one step further than just asking the question, 
“Who do they say that I am?”  
Jesus then turns it right back on them and says, 
“If you want to be a disciple of mine, 
then you need to take up your cross and follow me.”  
And he demonstrates what he means
—it is about self-sacrificing love. 
We are called to give of ourselves for others around us.  
So it would be helpful for us to do 
a performance evaluation of ourselves 
and to ask those closest to those, 
or our children and our parents, 
and to have that just of ourselves.

But it gets really interesting if ask the question of yourself as a family, 
“Who do others say that we are as a family?”  
For example, 
“What are the McGuire’s known for outside the family?”  
“What are the Smith’s known for?”  
What are the Jones’ known for?”  
And you ask the questions, “How would people perceive us?”  
Have that conversation over dinner tonight.  
See what you think others might say about you as a family, 
and ask how would they come to know that?  
How would others come to experience you outside of your family?

Then we can turn it up a notch more and ask that same of us all:  
“What do people say about us as a family of Holy Spirit Parish?  
Who do people say that we are?”  
Do they know us to be kind, 
considerate, welcoming, and caring for others? 

I do not have all the answers 
but I know that today Jesus is inviting us to ask the question:  
“Who do people say that we are, 
as individuals, 
as families, and 
as a community?”
We are called to love one another.  
So who do people say that we are?