Find Your Way Back to God - and What He Wants You To Do

 

Praying for the Women on Retreat

My dear brothers and sisters, we have to pray for all the women that are on retreat right now. We have a good number, almost 40 women over at the Knights of Columbus Hall praying for us, and we’re praying for them.

When I went there last night at 9 p.m., let me tell you, I was drained. Yesterday was a tough, tough day. 28 baptisms. That’s a lot. Mass, confession, baptism, another baptism. And then I had a funeral mass, and then at 9 p.m. I had the mass for our ladies over at the Knights of Columbus.

I was drained. But when I saw these ladies, they were smiling. This is what happens when you go on a retreat. You just have a big smile on your face. They were overjoyed. I was thinking, what are we serving? They looked excited, energetic, enthusiastic, happy.

The Challenge of Coming Back Down

I had to warn them. Going on a retreat is great because you feel like you’re on cloud nine. But then after the retreat, you see your husband and he says, “Honey, what are we going to have for dinner tonight?” And then you see your kids. “Mommy, I need your help. I need this, I need that. Help me with my homework.”

It’s very easy to come down from that high very quickly. So how do we maintain it?

Today, we have the answer.

Who Do You Say That I Am

In the Gospel, Jesus asks his apostles, “Who do people say that I am?” And of course he hears that people say he is Elijah, a prophet, a great man, an incredible leader. The Lord immediately understands that nobody knows who he is. So he quickly asks, “Who do you say that I am?”

Nobody speaks.

One of the scariest and most adventurous things in life is having to make a decision. Having to speak up or do something. And this time, Peter speaks up, and it changes his life forever. He says, “You are the Messiah, you are the Son of God.”

As soon as Peter shares what he believes, as soon as the Father reveals to Peter who Jesus is, God immediately reveals to Peter who he is. Jesus says, “You are Peter. And upon this rock I will build my church.”

Who we understand Jesus to be is who we will be revealed to be in the same way. If we think Jesus is simply a great leader, we will think in terms of leadership and vision. But if we truly understand who Jesus is, God will reveal who you are. Those two things go hand in hand, because we were created in the image and likeness of God. As soon as I can say that Jesus is my Lord and my Savior, the Lord will reveal to us who we are and what our mission is.

Peter Never Forgot Those Words

I am sure that Peter never forgot the words Jesus spoke to him. In Greek it is “petros,” but in Aramaic it is “kephas,” and kephas means boulder. Peter never forgot that. When he went to his death, crucified upside down in Rome, he never forgot those words. And because he never forgot them, he was able to be faithful to the end.

The Words That Followed Me to My Ordination

I remember December 24th, 2003. Christmas Eve. I was in Rome, being ordained to the priesthood. As I was walking down the aisle, I remembered the words my ex-girlfriend had said to me ten years earlier. She said, “You will never be a priest.”

So there I am, walking down the aisle for my ordination, and those are the words in my head. I thought, either I am going to die of a heart attack before I get ordained, or I am going to become a priest. It was not a relaxing moment. It was not even a joyful moment. I was nervous. I was scared.

But thank God there was something else I remembered, something I have never forgotten. And if I do forget it, that is my own downfall.

Before my ordination, we had a 30-day silent retreat. Your mind can go all over the place during something like that. But I remember the retreat master saying these words: “Remember, you did not choose me. I chose you.” The words of Jesus Christ, spoken to his apostles.

Thank God for that. Because no one is worthy of the name priest. No one is worthy of the name father, mother, husband, wife, son, or daughter. No one is worthy of anything except by the grace of God, and we can never forget that.

Every morning when I wake up and face the wall of my room, I should write in marker: “It is not you. I called you. You did not call me.” Because if we forget what we have received, that is on us.

The Keys God Has Given Each of Us

Once we know who God is, and once God reveals who we are called to be, what does he do? In the first reading, he gives Eliakim the keys. He gives Peter the keys.

What do the keys represent? Trust, responsibility, and access.

As Christians, we know who God is. We should know who we are. And God has given each and every one of us a set of keys. He trusts you. You are responsible. And now you have access.

It means he gives you the keys to your family. The keys to your marriage. The keys to your children. The keys to forgiveness, compassion, and mercy.

How to Stay High After a Retreat

How do you stay high after a retreat? Hold on to the words that Jesus has spoken to you. If you are not sure what those words are, ask the Lord for that guidance and he will give it to you. Then make sure you write those words on your heart.

Otherwise, it is on us. But the Lord is kind and merciful, and he gives us so many opportunities to show our love for him.

Amen.