There was a popular sit-com a few years back that is easily recognized by this musical intro “You wanna go where everybody knows your name”. You may remember it...Cheers. And it is true. We love to be recognized. We love for people to call us by name. Think of how it feels when you go to the bank or the pharmacy and the clerk calls you by name. It makes you feel good, doesn't it? But what is in a name? Don't worry, I'm not going to start quoting Shakespeare. But you know, some people go to great lengths to pick the perfect name for their children and even for their pets. Some names of products or companies have become so embedded in our culture that they actually have become generic terms. For example....Kleenex, Band-Aids or Scotch Tape. And what about Google? These days the name Google has even become a verb. If you want to look something up, you “Google” it. If you want to make a photo-copy of a document what do you do? You “Xerox” it. A good name is an enduring thing.

Well in today's Gospel, Jesus wants to know what names are being given him. “Who do people say that I am?” The people of his day were treating him sort of like a super star, a return of one of the great heroes of the faith from days past: Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist. But Jesus wanted to dig deeper. He went on in his questioning of the disciples and made it personal. He pointed a finger and asked “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked this of his disciples and he is still asking the same of us today. How would you answer? Some of you might state the obvious: Jesus is the Son of God. Well, how do you know that? Let's face it, that is what has been drilled into us all of our lives by parents, teachers, clergy, the Bible. Now, I am certainly not disputing the statement that Jesus is the Son of God. But there has to be another answer ....a more personal answer. We have to have our own personal experience of Jesus. We can't just be Catholic because we've always been Catholic or because our parents were Catholic. We cannot borrow someone else's faith. We have to find our own. Who is Jesus for you? What is your personal experience of Jesus?

For some Jesus might be a Bringer of Peace. For example: we live crazy stressed out lives, coming into a quiet church and kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament can help wash away the trials of the outside world. For some Jesus is a Source of Strength. When things get rough we go to him for consolation and help. For most of us, Jesus is Redeemer, Savior, Risen Lord.

I would like to propose another answer to the question, “Who do people say that I am?” Jesus is the Cross. This name defines Jesus Christ. His full identity could only be explained by his suffering, rejection and death on the cross. Likewise, our call by Christ must involve the cross. You know, Jesus expects a lot from each of us. In today's Gospel he says “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Our crosses are found in everyday life, in our family interactions, our work and our health. Some are small and inconsequential but others may be huge. Each person's cross ….like each person's relationship with Christ is unique. We cannot lump them all together and say this is what it is to be a believer, to be Catholic. Our task is to develop our own answer to today's question of who Jesus is, accept our crosses as they come and then carry them willingly.

You know, for each of the past twenty years , there has been a public proclamation of the names of those who died in the attacks on 9/11. It is important to hear those names read aloud. It is important to remember those victims. Each name has special meaning for loved ones and friends. It is interesting that we never established a good name for the terrorist attacks which took place on that fateful day in 2001. No, the terrorist attacks of September 2001 were much more difficult to name than, say Pearl Harbor or the Oklahoma City Bombing. So we call it something that we could all wrap our heads around......9/11, the biggest emergency this country has ever seen. This moniker, 9/11, has come to have special significance for the people of our country. It brings out intense feelings and emotions even if we didn't personally lose someone in the attacks. We all lost something, collectively. This weekend as we commemorate this solemn event, let us remember those that were lost and pray for those that remain. Above all, let us pray that God will protect us from all evil and future attacks.