Homily for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I've never posted anything myself before, but there is a first time for everything I suppose! Let's just pray that I actually accomplish this. If the next thing you read is the homily, it worked!!
Twenty-Fourth Sunday
In
Ordinary Time
Isaiah 50: 5-9a
James 2: 14-18
Mark 8: 27-35

If you are going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. I know it’s a cliché, but it became a cliché because there is a truth behind it. If you believe in something, you can’t just talk about it, you have to do something about it. Saying that you believe in something is one thing, showing that you mean it is some thing else altogether. That is the point James was making in his letter. We can say we have faith all day long, but if we never act on that faith, what does our faith really mean? We cannot simply say we are followers of Jesus Christ, we must ACT like followers of Jesus. We cannot ignore what goes on in the world around us. When we see people who need us, need our help, we cannot walk away. We cannot remain trapped in our insular little worlds, we have to venture outside of them, and then look around. The need of others is all around us. The poor, the hungry, the helpless, the voiceless, they are everywhere. We claim to be believers in Jesus, we claim to follow Christ. How do we live that belief out? We can talk the talk, but do we walk the walk? James is calling us to BE what we SAY we ARE. James is calling us to follow the example given to us by Jesus.
In the Gospel Jesus asks his followers, “Who do you say I am?” Peter quickly gives the truth, “You are the Christ.” Jesus acknowledges the truth, and then begins to tell them what he will do for them because he is the Christ. He tells them he must be handed over to the authorities, suffer, and die, and rise. Peter objected, but Jesus rebuked him. Jesus knew his role, he knew what He must do, He knew that he had to walk the walk. And He did. He did exactly what he said He must, and He did it for us. He gave us the example, the example that James is calling us to follow. Faith cannot be just words, faith is action. Jesus calls on us to take up our cross and follow Him. What will you do today to take up that cross? Live your faith. You may not be able to go work in a soup kitchen; you may not have money to give to help the poor, but you can pray for those in need. We’ve talked the talk, now let’s walk the walk.

Deacon John Simmons
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sept. 17, 2006
Hey wadda ya know! It did work!! Remember that it is better heard than read.
Peace
Deacon John