I recently caught an episode of Catholic Answers Live (January 25) when the guest was Joe Heschmeyer on the topic, “Who does Jesus say that you are” Joe Heschmeyer is an author and cohost of the Catholic Podcast Weekly. One of his books is titled, “Who am I Lord?: Finding your identity in Christ.”
The book description on Amazon.com says:
The question "Who am I?" is on the minds and hearts of people of all ages. And for good reason: The answer is important! Who we are - or who we think we are - drives our actions and shapes our relationships.
While we are asking the right questions about identity, the world is busy feeding us the wrong answers: We are our political party, job title, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity - and the list goes on. But until we know why we were created, by whom, and for what purpose, we can never be truly satisfied.
Heschmeyer’s point is that we are created in the image and likeness of God. Our identity is modeled on His identity. Therefore, the more we know God, the better we know ourselves. I found his presentation on Catholic Answers Live very thought provoking and would highly recommend listening to the download or getting his book.
As our society tends to grow more distant from God, we see more people, especially the young, going through an identity crisis. We have a natural yearning to know who we are. Why are we here? How do we identify? If we do not know our creator in whose image we are made, we must create our own identity. That identity is often determined by what we are rather than who we are. It becomes an open-ended question that can lead to confusion and uncertainty. As Heschmeyer puts it, we settle for something less than the reality of who we are. We should live in the identity of being a son or daughter of God.
Identity is important. In the broadcast, Heschmeyer mentioned how Adam’s first job in Genesis was to name the animals, and that created a relationship with them. He said we tend not to name the animals we eat. If we name an animal, our relationship with it changes. Today we live in a society where identity has become somewhat fluid. Meanings change and foundations are weakened.
In Matthew 16:15-19, Jesus names Simon Peter, the Rock, but not before He first asks Simon, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon is not identified as Peter, the Rock, until he first acknowledges Christ. Similarly, we cannot know our true identity until we know Christ. Jesus is God and we created in the image and likeness of God. Knowing God is a prerequisite for knowing ourselves.
How do we get to know God? How does God speak to us? He makes Himself known to us through His Son, His Church and the Scriptures. He speaks to us through the Magesterial authority given to the bishops in union with the Pope. But, do we really listen? We cannot do it as a casual observer. Going to Mass once a week and saying a few Hail Marys doesn’t get us there. It takes time, effort and desire. All close relationships must be nurtured in order to grow. Prayer, study, adoration, discipline, spiritual and corporal works of mercy - All of these things help us grow closer to God, to know Him better, serve Him better, and to better know ourselves.
