I will follow Him, follow Him wherever He may go and near Him I always will be for nothing can keep me away for He is my destiny! I will follow Him ever since He touched my heart I knew there isn't an ocean too deep a mountain so high it can keep me away, away from His love!!
"I will follow him", the song, despite popular belief was not written for the movie Sister Act. Nope, in fact this song was written in 1961, sung by many and first brought to #1 by Petula Clark; now that's going back a few decades. But truth be told, this songs popularity and any ties it has to faith indeed come from the movie version.
Yet today, the song begs a pretty important question.
As people of faith, will we follow Him, follow Him wherever He may go?
Easy question to answer? We may think so. Let's look into this a little deeper in light of today's Gospel and 2nd reading. In the 8th chapter of St. Mark's Gospel Jesus and his Apostles, journeying for some time away from Jerusalem, reach the community of Caesarea Philippi which is about as far north and east as one could travel away from Jerusalem and still be in Palestinian territory. At this point, Jesus knows He is about to turn back to Jerusalem and soon the Apostles will find this out too. Jesus also knows that He is doing this to rendezvous with Calvary and His Cross. The Apostles have no idea. So Jesus, in this foreboding place, decides to share this news by first asking a question: Who do people say I am? Hearing the usual answers Jesus then directs the question to His followers: But who do you say that I am. And it is Peter who takes charge and answers: You are the Christ! What a graced moment this must have been for Peter. But wait; there is more, so much more!
Here Jesus tells them the plan, we turn now and travel back to Jerusalem where I, your friend, your rabbi, your Messiah, will have to suffer, be rejected, and killed. Yes, I will be killed. But He tells them everything: I will rise on the 3rd day. Unfortunately, it appears as if they, especially Peter, could not get past that part about being killed. Now Peter responds by rejecting this whole suffer and die plan, even rebuking Jesus. And Jesus tells Peter plainly: get behind me Satan.
In a brief moment Peter goes from prophet to being called Satan. Jesus will let nothing alter what must be done to save Peter and his followers and all of us from sin. The road now leads to Calvary and He asks them, and us too, to walk this road with Him. Take up our cross, deny ourselves, follow Him!
Here is where we need to place ourselves in this Gospel story right here, right now. First, if Jesus were to ask any of us here today who do you say I am, how would we answer? And whatever comes out of our mouth, does it line up with our heart? Are we answering with words we believe? Next, are we able to pay the price of following such a Savior as Jesus? Can we take up our cross, or crosses if that be the case, and follow Him? Are we able and willing to follow Him, wherever He may go?
Jesus is reminding us, in these tumultuous times of our present day reality, will you be with me not just at the Resurrection, but at the Crucifixion as well? Will you follow me on Easter and Good Friday? Will you travel the road with me in good times as well as bad? Will you stick with me when things are going smoothly and when things are messed up? Can I count on you in sunshine and the storms? Brothers and sisters, these are the questions we need to ask ourselves today, right here, right now!
Jesus is also asking us in this Gospel to love Him by loving or brothers and sisters in need. Whether that brother and sister be someone we know or a stranger, can we care for them in their need? It may be an immigrant or an inmate, it may be the poor or marginalized, it may be someone incredibly hungry, or in need of clothes or a place to stay. Take up our cross my friends and follow Him by caring, helping and sharing our faith with one another. St. James said it well in our 2nd reading: if someone has nothing to wear and no food to eat, do we wish them well, maybe even pray for them, but share nothing for their bodily needs; what good is that? Faith without works is dead!
Reflect on these two Scriptures this week, both today's Gospel and James' epistle. Pray with these words. Then find one tangible way this week, and then throughout our lives, to make these words an action.
Who do you say I am? Will you deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me? Will you care for my brothers and sisters in need, who are your brothers and sisters too?
I will follow Him, follow Him wherever He may go.
He is my destiny! Nothing can keep me from His love!
Follow Him!!
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