Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2016

The gospel reading for today begins with this question from Jesus: "Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Lk 9:18-24  This question from Jesus has remained the central question for every generation since to answer, and so for our generation now. Increasingly, it is the rationalist/scientific answer that is gaining momentum today. It sees Jesus as that mere man, who lived two millennia ago, who was executed and buried, and who is the inspiration for one of the great religions of our time. End of story, bottled and put on the shelf with all other obscure religious figures from ancient times. Bishop Robert Barron has an interesting take on this view in a review of a new movie entitled, "Last Days in the Desert." Here is the link to this review.