"Marks of Identity"

This past year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit an American Navy Base in Naples, Italy every 3 weeks while in Rome. We would go down in pairs and stay with American families for the weekend. One memorable family had a 5 year old son, as well as a hyper bulldog. Fortunately, the bulldog was given private quarters that weekend. At one point I gave the boy, Colin, a prayer card. It was my priesthood prayer card of the "Dispute of the Eucharist" by the great painter, Raphael. Many of you may have picked one up after my first Mass just about 3 months ago. Let me quickly describe the picture though. On the lower half are the doctors and fathers of the faith gathered around the exposed Eucharist trying to understand the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. On the upper part is seated Jesus Christ in glory with Mary and John the Baptist on either side. They are surrounded by a host of saints, Peter, Paul, as well as, Old Testament ones too, Moses, David, Elijah, etc... The prayer card is very colorful and I decided to give one to my new friend, Colin with the condition that he pray for me. I told him who some of the prominent figures were and then he was quiet and said one thing that struck me. "What are those?" Colin was pointing to the marks in the hands of the glorified Jesus. Of all the things going on in the picture and all the colorful images, he pointed out one aspect... "What are those?" I explained to Colin they are the marks from the crucifixion but that Jesus is saying, "see it doesn’t hurt anymore."

In the Gospel today, the question by Jesus to the apostles, "Who do you say I am?", is linked with my little friends question, "What are those?" Peter correctly states that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, but the type of Christ He is, is answered by the marks that would soon be placed on his sacred hands. The marks on his hands, feet, and side from the crucifixtion would remain with Him after rising from the dead and would forever be a way to identify who Jesus truly is. Jesus is the Savior whom suffered, died, and rose from the dead so that may all have life.

Today, we may not bear visible marks like our savior but we nonetheless have marks of identity. By our baptism we have been marked indelibly, that is, forever! We have been configured and claimed by Christ as belonging to Him forever. We have been marked and claimed by Jesus to worship the Father forever as His children. By our confirmation (for those who have received that already), we have been marked again by Christ to be public witnesses to the faith. We have been strengthened by the Holy Spirit to go forth and proclaim the Truths of the Gospel and the faith. There is actually a third time a man receives an indelible mark. After receiving the sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is configured forever to Christ the servant, as a deacon, or configured to act in the very person of Christ as Head. In one way we all have been marked forever, whether through baptism, confirmation or even Holy Orders.

This is why our identity is first and foremost Christians! We need to reclaim that identity in this world, as Christians as a whole or even more specifically as Catholics! Let me get real, specific here!

Lately, with election going on, we hear a lot of fidelity to specific political parties. That’s fine, as long as that party or person we are voting for doesn’t stand for anti Christian principles. Allow me to get even more specific, without mentioning names or parties. If we know that a certain person is pro abortion and the other is pro life (at least more so than the other) and we vote for the pro abortion politician, all in the name of fidelity to a political party, we act against our first and foremost identity as Catholics. We are first and foremost Christians, Catholics, and we can not support someone who is for the destruction of an innocent human being, especially when we have another person who is pro life and stands a good shot at getting that office. Many people may say that there are other issues and we can’t be single issued. You know what I say to that? You better believe there is only one issue...the basic right to life! All issues work to make our lives better but we need to first have that right to life and be born. I don’t want to hear about education and the necessity of computers in the classrooms if we don’t first have the children to fill the classrooms with! We stand for life and must place that fundamental basic right to life ahead of all other issues because no other issue makes sense without the basic right to life!