29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Whose image is this?
The Pharisees once again try to trap Jesus by asking a question they thought would cause him to label himself either a friend of the Romans or a troublemaker questioning Rome’s authority. It seems he must choose between civil authority and religious authority. Do we not at times face the same dilemma?
So many images and inscriptions compete for our attention, whether political parties, ideologies, or stances in life—conservative, ultra-conservative, moderate, liberal, socialist. To some extent, we bear the image of these in the way we think, speak, and act. We are asked to choose which we will follow.
The question Jesus asked is still valid today. Whose image is this? It is asked of each one of us. When others see us, whose image do we bear? Scripture is clear: we were created in the image and likeness of God. Would St. Paul say of us today that he gives thanks for us, calling to mind our works of faith and understanding that God chose us in the power of the Holy Spirit?
We are challenged to see the image of God in one another. Just as Cyrus’s choice to free God’s people may have been a surprise at the time, we too struggle to remain open to where God chooses to reveal his image to us.
At our Eucharistic celebration, as we stand to profess our faith, we state clearly whose image we bear. As we offer our gifts at the altar, we pray that we will be transformed into the image of Christ. And as we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, our amen affirms that we understand and accept that we become the Body of Christ to one another and to our world, so desperate to know whose image they bear.
Whose image do I bear?
Let Us Pray:
Lord, may we be true to living our lives in Your image and likeness, that others may be drawn to Your love. And may the Spirit open our minds and hearts to recognize Your image in others as You draw us into unity and peace. Amen.
