“Do you have a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ?”

 Have you ever been approached by someone you’ve never met before and they ask you: “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?”

 Don’t you feel like – “Oh No, how do I get out of this conversation?” So you answer with a lame “Yes” or maybe a flippant “Of Course” - you certainly are not going to answer by saying  “No,” since that will only make this conversation get more involved!

 How many have ever been asked to be a “witness;” to give a firsthand account of something you have seen, heard, or experienced?

 All of the readings for Mass this weekend are about being a witness.

 The reality is we witness in many different ways and forms every day!

 Have you ever “witnessed” about a movie you saw? Or a restaurant you have eaten at? Or given witness to a sports team?  (GO GREEN!) Or a vacation place you have visited?

 You see, we give witness about all sorts of things – and we pretty much do it voluntarily and with some passion and much conviction.

 Today we hear about being a witness and having a living relationship with God.

It is no longer enough to just be a faithful servant. What is required is for us to be an actual reflection of God in the world.

 It’s all about being a witness – and witnessing to others!

 Witnessing is the beginning point of building

our FAITH in GOD, in JESUS CHRIST, and the HOLY SPIRIT.

 Even though we may cringe at being asked if we have a personal and living with Jesus, it is no longer sufficient to just say “Yes” or “No” or, to answer in a flippant manner:  “Of course!”

 In the “Catholic” world that most of us grew up in, it was never about having a “personal relationship” with Jesus; it was more about having a “factual” or “intellectual” knowledge of Jesus.

 Sure we can all say that Jesus is:

·        Son of God  
·        Second person in the Trinity  
·        One divine person in two natures  
·        The Messiah  
·        My Redeemer
·        The Light of the world
·        The Good Shepherd,
·        The Bread of Life.

 We all identify that Jesus is all of these, but they do not answer the question:

” Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?”

 The question is not about giving a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer – it is  about being able to make a personal statement about where you are “at the present moment” in your relationship with Jesus – and how you got there.

Jesus asks in Luke’s Gospel:

"Who do you say that I am?"

                                                                                          (Luke 9:20)

 

Witnessing, regardless as to what it is that we are witnessing to, is an all important human activity.

 

·        There can be no learning without the witness of those who teach us.

·        There can be no safety without the witness of others in their lived service or sacrifice.

·        There can be no purpose in life without the witness of those who can enlighten and direct us.

 

All of society depends on the witnessing of others.

 To be a true and authentic witness of anything we must first have a personal experience to what it is that we are witnessing.

 Admittedly it can be difficult to understand much of what Jesus says and does in the Gospels.

It can even be more difficult trying to live out what it is that we do understand.

So, how do we develop a “personal living relationship” with Jesus and become a true witness? 

 

NOTICING GOD’S ACTION IN OUR LIVES

 We begin by making a habit of noticing God’s action in our lives; we can let God’s light shine into any darkness we experience.

We can be personally “present” with Jesus – separating in our minds the images and ideas that come with Christian tradition, or what others have said about what Jesus has meant to them.

Having a personal relationship with Jesus will be different for each of us. A relationship with Jesus will also be different from the “human” relationships we experience with others – it will be a relationship based on “spiritual awareness” rather than on physical presence.

So, the first step in beginning a “spiritual” personal relationship begins with some honest self-examination. The probability is that you may not know all the reasons why you are even drawn to Jesus, or fully understand the struggles you encounter that obstruct you in following him. 

Building a personal relationship with anyone begins with spending quality time together. A specific time, like a date with a loved one, a time set aside to experience who this person is.

It’s not only about reading prayers, or reciting prayers, or being involved is church activities. It’s more about having “one-on-one” time – a time to talk – but, more importantly a time to listen.

 BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP

 Building a relationship is about exercising courage, patience, caring, hoping, loving, and believing. It’s about having faith in those who witness to us; it’s about having faith in those who guide us; it’s about having faith in those who encourage us.

It’s about the willingness to be completely open and honest with ourselves and with God.

 BUT, WHAT IF . . .

 
Will my personal relationship with Jesus or my witnessing of God’s presence in my life attract others to Jesus?

Or, will my witnessing turn them away from Christ rather than draw them closer?

Will it be enough to speak the only truth I know?

 We can only be responsible to ourselves. Not every seed that is planted germinates and blooms.

When Mother Teresa was asked: ...”Don’t you sometimes get discouraged?”  Mother Teresa responded:

“No, God doesn’t call me to be successful;

God calls me to be faithful.”

 To be a witness is mostly about desire; a desire to want to grow in a living relationship Jesus. 

·        A desire to be singularly focused on building that relationship.

·        A desire to know and meet the expectations God’s has personally implanted in our souls to live out.

 

Does my life and my actions reflect my beliefs?

 Do I reflect on and thank God for the gift of faith?

 Let us pray . . .

 Let us pray for one another, that God may give us an opportunity to witness and proclaim the mystery of Jesus Christ. Colossians 4:3 That God will give us a resolute determination to do his will and help us put our whole strength into the work of living a Christian life. Amen.

 

Homily proclaimed on January 18-19, 2014