In today's Gospel, taken from the ninth chapter of Saint Luke, we see Herod trying to figure out who Jesus is. Some of his "learned" priests were saying that this Jesus was john the Baptist raised from the dead. Others claimed Jesus was Elijah or one of the ancient prophets. None of their answers satisfied him. He simply could not understand who this Jesus was and he tried, in vain, to see Him.
Are we so much different from Herod? We know Who Jesus is because the Church throughout the centuries have taught us Who He is. We call Him the Son of the Living God. The Son of God. Or, even the Son of Man, plus several other titles. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we are seeking the true identity of Jesus. Do we really know Who He is? Oh, we do have all these titles that we have assigned to Him, but do we really know Him?
How often throughout the day do you stop for but a moment and say a little prayer of thanks for the life you have even if that life is not anything close to perfect? We presume we know Who Jesus is and we tuck Him away in the recesses of our minds and hearts until Sunday or an emergency in our lives, whichever comes first. We act as though we have faith, but, isn't it true that we, like Herod, would give almost anything just to see Him, experience Him personally in our lives.
And, yet, if we were truly believers, wouldn't it be easy to see Him any time we wished? He, Himself, has told us that He is in the poor. How many times have we passed a homeless man or woman without giving them a second thought? Yet, there stands Christ. How many times have we visited a relative or friend in the hospital, said about four words and then began the big countdown to the appropriate time to make our exit? Yet, there, in that hospital bed, lay the Crucified Christ. How often do we look at other people as little more annoyances who get in our way on the road and slow us down? Yet, behind the wheel of the car that seems to be going about thirty miles under the speed limit, there is Christ.
The point is we, unlike Herod, already know Who Jesus Christ is. He is the Son of God. The Savior of the world. And he is already visible to us if we but open our eyes and look. Our eyes of faith, that is!
