“Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10:33)

Do we tremble at these words? Do they make us take a moment to examine our conscience in fear of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna? (verse 28)

Do we jump in haste like Peter? “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.” (Matthew 26:35)

Or do we instead say with Judas? “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” (verse 25).

If we sincerely hope for Jesus to be our mediator with the Father, we must strive to understand what He is asking of us.

The Greek word for acknowledge, homologeo, means: “to speak in accordance, adopt the same terms of language; to engage, promise.” We acknowledge Jesus Christ when we speak what he has spoken to us.

“What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” (Matthew 10:27)

And here is where things get challenging… we do not get to pick and choose the parts we want to share. We don’t get to keep the ones that will have consequences we don’t want… the ones that will make our lives messier, more complex – the ones that might even literally cost us our lives.

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” (John 6:56-57)

We are called to feed on him, listen to him, acknowledge him, and become what we eat.

Let us pray:

“Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, just as we celebrate the heavenly birthday of the Bishop Saint Bonaventure, we may benefit from his great learning and constantly imitate the ardor of his charity. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. (From Collect)