Homily 399 – Your Name and Your Quest – 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the famous movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur and his knights come to an ominous confrontation at the Bridge of Death. In order to cross, they must each answer three questions. In today’s homily, I focus on the first two: “What is your name?” and “What is your quest?” Put another way, these two questions are the most important questions you can ask in life: “What is your identity?” and “What is your mission?”

In the first reading, we are told that Jeremiah was known by God before he even existed. He has an identity beyond anything that he will later do. The same is true for Jesus. He has an identity apart from anything he does in his public ministry. The same is true for us. We have to know who we are apart from anything we do. How often we see people letting what they do or what other people think of them determine their self identity. Our primary identity is that we are beloved sons and daughters of God. If you get that right, nothing else can shake you.

From identity flows mission. We have to know who we are, but then we need to know for what purpose God has created us. Jeremiah was given the mission of a prophet. Jesus had the mission of giving his life for the salvation of the world. Notice that things did not seem to end well for either Jeremiah or Jesus. If we were to judge “success” on worldly terms, neither looks very successful. And yet, both of them fulfilled their mission. Jesus was the most successful person ever, even though he was ultimately killed. He fulfilled his mission perfectly. What about us? Do we even know what our mission is?

Knowing who we are and what our mission is gives us the secret to true peace and joy in life. If we are weak in our identity and mission, then we will spend our lives trying to avoid suffering and chasing fleeting images of fake success that the world offers. If we know our identity and mission then we will stand firm in our convictions and boldly face any sufferings that might come because of them. Jeremiah and Jesus are both great examples.

Jesus once famously asked his apostles, “Who do you say that I am?” Notice he’s not asking about how successful people think is or if his message is getting through. Even though he’s doing some pretty incredible stuff, this is not what is important. His identity is important. “Who do you say that I am?” Today, let’s ask ourselves how solid we are in our identity and mission. Who do you say that you are? Better yet, who does God say that you are?

If we get the first two questions right, “What is your name?” and “What is your quest?” then any other question is easy. “What is your favorite color?” … “What is the capital of Assyria?” …or even “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?“