Posted on 09/15/2018 9:59:55 PM PDT by Salvation
St. Ignatius of Loyola
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
This Sunday we hear St. Mark’s account of St. Peter professing that Jesus is the anointed one of God and the Messiah foretold by the prophets. In response to Jesus asking the Apostles, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter spoke in faith on behalf of the Twelve, saying, “You are the Christ.”
At this point in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives Peter his name, Petros, the Greek word for rock. Our Lord promised that he will build his church upon this rock (Mt 16:18-19).
This triumphant moment when Peter is appointed to the role of protecting, unifying, and guiding the church is omitted by St. Mark, who instead allows the action to continue with Jesus asking the Apostles not to share with others that he is the Christ, and then telling them that he will go to Jerusalem, where he will be killed and rise again.
This was the first recorded prediction that Jesus would make of his upcoming passion and death. The Apostles were still struggling to discern who Jesus was and how he would fulfill the promises of the prophets to be the king from the line of David to rule for all eternity and bring salvation to God’s people. Therefore, Christ’s words were shocking to them.
As Peter spoke on behalf of the others when identifying Jesus as the Messiah, he takes it upon himself to act on their behalf again, rebuking Jesus. We find Peter’s words in St. Matthew’s account, when he tells Jesus, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Mt 16: 22).
Jesus, upon hearing Peter’s words, turns toward him and all of the Apostles and says, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mk 8:33). We do not know Peter’s reaction, but we can imagine the shock, embarrassment and perhaps confusion.
At the moment, Peter and the others could not imagine a storyline for Christ’s saving plan that included suffering and death. How could the scribes, chief priests and elders of Israel killing Jesus in Jerusalem be anything but a failure? We can understand why Peter would respond as he did.
With the perspective of faith and time, however, we see how the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ defeated sin and death, offering a means of our purification and eternal life. In God’s providence, the plan was perfect, even though it included a cross and grave.
St. Paul tells the Corinthians that Christ on the cross is a “stumbling block” and “foolishness” to non-believers (1 Cor 1:23). The inclusion of humiliation, pain, and a brutal death into God’s plan for human salvation runs against what we want to think about God and those he loves who believe in him. We prefer to think that when we cling to God, we will be held in his loving embrace and kept safe from all harm.
Therefore, we also sometimes struggle as Peter did when we are confronted with our own suffering, or the suffering of the church. We cannot understand how a loving God would allow sin and violence into his plan for our salvation.
Without faith, it make no sense. Without embracing the crosses that Jesus offers us and without seeing even the most tragic suffering as a possible means for salvation, we too can be scandalized and fooled into thinking that God has abandoned his children.
Yet Jesus shows how the worst sin in human history, our nailing the Son of God on the cross to die, in the end saved the whole world. If he can use such tragedy to redeem us, we have faith that he can work through the sufferings we and his church have experienced. We likely will not know how, and we may not even see it in our lifetimes, but we pray for the faith that allows us to trust that in the worst of tragedies, Jesus is with us, using the violence of the cross as an instrument to transform the world.
Let us pray for the faith that allows us to trust God’s loving hand guiding all things, even when we cannot even imagine it. With trust in him, we can heed Christ’s command to take up our crosses and follow him (Mt 8:34), knowing that this is the only means to our salvation.
Fr. Wagner is parochial vicar of St. Veronica Church in Chantilly.
Jesus is Messiah and Lord, but He confounds every notion we have ever had about these titles. His power reaches perfection in “weakness” and He reigns from the cross. To the world this is utter absurdity, but the Lord insists that we meet Him at the cross. He chooses the foolish to shame the wise; He chooses the weak to shame the strong; He chooses the lowly and despised things of the world—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are (cf 1 Cor 1:27-28). Let us journey to the cross and meet Him there; let us endure a little of His “folly.”
Our journey begins at Cesarea Philippi, a town “way up yonder” in pagan territory.
I. Confusion – Jesus begins by asking the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”
First, note that not only are many different opinions put forth, but all of them are wrong.
There are many today who think it advisable for the Church to change her teachings based on what “the people” are saying or think is “right.” Yes, we should just take a poll and find out what the people want! So often we are called out-of-date because we do not conform to current (passing) opinions.
The premise, of course, is that we live in “enlightened” times and that if only the Church would just conform to current “wisdom” her halls would be full. Any look at most of the mainline liberal ... denominations puts the lie to this. For all their conformity to modern sensibilities, they are far emptier than any Catholic church (or those of the Evangelical denominations).
Further, the “poll” results delivered by the disciples in this passage are all wrong—every one of them. Collecting everyone’s opinion does not produce the truth.
Thus, we ought to acknowledge that there is a lot of confusion and divided opinion in the world; we should be careful about taking cues from the world when it comes to religious, moral, and lasting truth. Even in the physical sciences, which claim to be so objective, there is a considerable shifting of even fundamental premises over time. Further, there is often division among scientists and medical experts over even basic matters.
We do well to approach this world’s teachings and claims soberly, realizing that even in worldly matters, let alone religious ones, the world is divided and sometimes just plain wrong.
The question remains: Who is Jesus Christ and how will the answer be given?
II. Committee – Having rejected poll results as a valid way of determining the truth, Jesus tries to sample the experts. Surely even if the general populace cannot supply the answer, they can. The question now gets posed to the “blue-ribbon panel,” the twelve Apostles: And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Now we may wish to rush ahead to Peter’s answer, but first let us note that, as a body, the apostles are not able to return a verdict. What we get is silence.
III. Confession – Finally the correct answer comes forth: Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then [Jesus] warned them not to tell anyone about him.
The manner in which God provides the correct answer to us is developed more fully in Matthew’s version, which adds the following: Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt 16:17-19).
Hence, we are taught that God the Father anointed Peter with this knowledge and inspired him to speak it for the others. This is the basis of our confidence that Peter and his successors, the popes, are inspired to proclaim the faith infallibly, not on account of their own learning but on account of the grace of God. And while the pope generally works with the college of bishops, his affirmation of their deliberations is essential for formal teachings on faith or morals.
Peter’s declaration is true and correct: Jesus is the Christ. However, Peter and the others still need to grow to a deeper understanding of the full implications of the true Faith. Just as Jesus will lead them to understand it, so too has He led the Church to a deeper understanding over the centuries.
IV. Clarification – Jesus draws them to deeper understanding: He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly.
Although Peter has spoken rightly, calling Jesus the Messiah, the term “Messiah” was widely misunderstood at that time. The misunderstanding was rooted in an incomplete reading of messianic prophecy. Most Jews of the time thought of the Messiah as a powerful military figure who would usher in a bloodbath, a career of conquest against the Romans; that is how this “Messiah” would reestablish the Kingdom of David in all its glory. It was a worldly and political view of the Messiah, one which Jesus rejected. Instead, He would more likely refer to passages such as these:
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help; therefore, I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let that man confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong? (Is 50:5-9)
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Is 53:5)
Jesus clarifies what the Messiah must be: a suffering servant who dies so that His people don’t have to.
V. The Cross – Then things get tense for a moment: Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”
Peter, correct just a moment ago, now needs rebuke, but Jesus is willing to work with him. He was right that Jesus was Messiah, but now he needs to understand more deeply what that really means. The Lord calls him away from the world’s notions and the opinions of sinful humanity.
After this, Jesus gets personal. He now tells them that not only will He take up a cross, but so must they.
Talk about not taking an opinion poll! Could anything rate lower on an opinion poll than the cross? Indeed, if one were to take a poll today, there would likely be no crosses at all, only pillows and buffet tables.
The cross is a paradox if there ever was one: from the cross comes life.
Even the world once had some notion of this. What do we have (that we value) that does not involve some sacrifice? A college degree, a career, children, a home, a television—all of them are the fruit of labor, of sacrifice. Too many today want blessings without sacrifice. If we want something, we “charge it.” We spend money we don’t have in order to possess things we have not earned. Welcome to $13 trillion in U.S. household debt, which of course no one should have to “suffer” to pay down. Indeed, the cross has largely been set aside.
But not for Jesus and not for us. To be true Christians we must embrace the cross. Oftentimes this means doing what is hard. It is easy to give way to temptation; it is harder to withstand it. It is easy to be greedy; it is harder to be generous. It is easy to fornicate; it is harder to be chaste. It is easy to file for divorce; it is harder to work things out. It is easy to do what everyone else is doing; it is harder to be a witness or a martyr. It is easy to do what is sinful and self-serving; it is harder to do what is right.
Yes indeed, the cross is what it is—hard, but there is life that comes from it. I am a witness (and I hope you are too) that to the degree I have embraced the often-harder choice of following God’s way, I have been blessed. The chaste avoid lust’s fires, not to mention child support, alimony, and sexually transmitted diseases. The generous have powerful friends in the poor, not to mention being less addicted to money and possessions. Those who fear the Lord have simpler lives than those who must ingratiate themselves to often-contradictory crowds, compromising at every moment.
In today’s Gospel reading we have been led to a deeper understanding of Jesus Christ. Who is He? Does He hold a worldly kingdom and offer merely passing prosperity? Is He just a divine butler who “steps and fetches” to meet our needs? Or is He the Lord, whom we must obey and who tells us to meet Him at the cross? Ask the martyrs; inquire of the saints. They will tell you of the cross, but they will also shout of the victory.
Jesus is Lord and Messiah, but He will not fight on the world’s terms. He conquers darkness with light, hatred with love, and pride with humility. He gives life by dying and bestows joy by sacrifice. He is Messiah, but on His terms not ours. His “weakness” conquers the strong; His “folly” confounds the learned and clever.
No, He’s not your average Messiah.
This song says, “If you can’t stand a little disappointment … if you think you should always be up and never down, I’ve come to remind you: No cross, no crown.”
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Isaiah 50:4-9 II: James 2:14-18
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare'a Philip'pi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?"
28 And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Eli'jah; and others one of the prophets."
29 And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."
30 And he charged them to tell no one about him.
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men."
34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
Following Jesus is no rose garden. It will cost you everything.
Sunday, September 16
Liturgical Color: Green
Today is the Memorial of St.
Cornelius, pope and martyr, and St.
Cyprian, bishop and martyr.
Together they worked to restore
lapsed Catholics who abandoned the
faith to avoid persecution in the
third century.
September 16, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)
Look upon us, O God, Creator and ruler of all things, and, that we may feel the working of your mercy, grant that we may serve you With all our heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!
Old Calendar: Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare'a Philip'pi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Eli'jah; and others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he charged them to tell no one about him (Mark 8:27-30).
The feast of Sts. Corneilius and Cyprian, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.
Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 50:5-9. The prophet Issiah describes some of the sufferings which the Messiah will endure.
The second reading is from the Letter of St. James 2:14-18 and is a continuation of the practical guidance we heard two Sundays ago. Christians must be "doers of the word not hearers only."
The Gospel is from St. Mark 8:27-35. We need not be surprised at the slowness of the Apostles in grasping the messiahship of Jesus. He did not want the crowds who flocked to him to know this until later — after his resurrection — because they had the idea that the Messiah would be a political leader who would set them free from their subjection to pagan Rome. It was not until this occasion, near Caesarea Philippi, somewhat over a year after he had called them, that he admitted to his Apostles that he was the Messiah. He charged them not to make this fact known outside of their own limited circle. To forestall and erase any wrong ideas of a political leader which some of the Apostles might have, he immediately foretold the sufferings and death he would have to endure at the hands of the leaders of the Jews. He would be conquered and humiliated by his enemies but their victory would be short-lived -- death would not hold him -- he would rise triumphant on the third day.
To the Apostles this seemed incredible and Peter, their spokesman, told him so. This outlook of the Apostles is also very understandable. They had seen him work many miracles, God was evidently very near to him: how could God let his enemies humiliate and kill him? They did not know God's plan, they were fishermen and knew little if anything of the Old Testament messianic prophecies. Had they read of the Suffering Servant in second-Isaiah they would not have disbelieved the prophecy of his forthcoming sufferings, death and resurrection. And his mention of his resurrection after three days, which would prove that it was he and not his enemies who conquered, fell on deaf ears, because the idea of a resurrection of that kind was incomprehensible to them. We know how slow they were to accept his resurrection even after it had happened.
Although the message was only vaguely and dubiously grasped, Christ had forewarned his Apostles (he repeated this twice later: Mk. 9: 9-10; 31-32 and 10: 32-34), so as to prepare them for the scandal of the cross. While it did not really prepare them because they were still too worldly-minded, it did help to strengthen their faith once the facts convinced them of the resurrection. They then realized that their beloved Master was more than Messiah, that he was in fact the Son of God, who with knowledge aforethought freely accepted his humiliations and shameful death for their sakes and ours. They gladly gave their lives to bringing this news of God's great love for men to all nations. From being a scandal the cross became the emblem and the proud standard of God's love for mankind.
We are in the happy position of the Apostles after the resurrection of Jesus. We know how much God loves us; we appreciate the humiliation that the incarnation brought on his beloved Son and the sufferings and cruel death which the sins of the world, ours included, brought on the Son of God. All of this took place because God wished to make us his adopted sons and worthy of the inheritance he had planned for us. For a faithful and grateful Christian, however, theoretical appreciation is not enough. Atonement has been made for our sins, but we have still a very important part to play. Our sins can be forgiven but we must truly repent of them before God will forgive them.
St. Mark adds some words of Christ which illustrate what practical form our appreciation and gratitude for Christ's sufferings should take. We must be ready to follow him on the road to Calvary. We must deny ourselves — deprive ourselves not only of sinful pleasure or gain, but even of lawful things at times, in order to be Christ-like. We must take up our cross and follow him. This does not mean that we must search for crosses — there are plenty of them in any good Christian's life — but we must gladly accept the crosses life brings us and see in them God's means of keeping us close to him.
Life on earth is very short, eternal life is endless. No thinking man, and certainly no true Christian, would risk losing the eternal life for the sake of a few paltry gains or a few extra years here below.
Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Get behind me, Satan. (Mark 8:33)
Try to imagine the look on Peter’s face when Jesus rebuked him. He must have gone from a beaming smile to a forlorn frown in a split second.
Did Peter love Jesus when he said, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29)? Yes! Did he love Jesus when he urged him to avoid the cross? Yes! Peter loved Jesus with his whole heart on both occasions, even though the first response came from God, and the second one didn’t.
If it was hard for the great St. Peter to recognize the difference between godly truth and ungodly temptation, what hope could there possibly be for us? Sure, there are times when it’s not hard to spot the influence of the devil. But what about those times when we feel we are being sincere and honest, but we’re still wrong?
What about those times when we say something out of a good motivation, but it ends up being the wrong thing at the wrong time?
The first thing we need to do is admit that we don’t always get it right. We’re going to make mistakes and hurt people, even when we have good intentions. There will even be times, humbling though they may be, when our good intentions end up serving devilish purposes. Praise God for his mercy and patience!
Second, we need to know that the Holy Spirit wants to teach us how to live. St. Paul tells us that no matter how inscrutable the wisdom of God may be, “we have the mind of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 2:16). This means we really can learn how to discern spiritual things.
Over time, Peter learned how to discern God’s voice. He learned how to sort through his intentions and be a clearer instrument of God’s grace. We can too. Just keep telling yourself, “I have the mind of Christ. I believe that the Holy Spirit is my guide.” With this little statement of faith, you can develop the gift of discernment.
“Lord, show me your ways so that I may discern your will.”
Isaiah 50:4-9
Psalm 116:1-6, 8-9
James 2:14-18
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942)
Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe
Love of the Cross, 24/11/1934 (©Institute of Carmelite Studies)
"Let him take up his cross, and follow me"
Being one with Christ is our sanctity, and progressively becoming one with him our happiness on earth, the love of the cross in no way contradicts being a joyful child of God. Helping Christ carry his cross fills one with a strong and pure joy, and those who may and can do so, the builders of God's kingdom, are the most authentic children of God. And so those who have a predilection for the way of the cross by no means deny that Good Friday is past and that the work of salvation has been accomplished. Only those who are saved, only children of grace, can in fact be bearers of Christ's cross. Only in union with the divine Head does human suffering take an expiatory power.
To suffer and to be happy although suffering, to have one's feet on the earth, to walk on the dirty and rough paths of this earth and yet to be enthroned with Christ at the Father's right hand, to laugh and cry with the children of this world and ceaselessly sing the praises of God with the choirs of angels - this is the life of the Christian until the morning of eternity breaks forth.
LET HIM DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME
(A biblical refection on THE 24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [YEAR B] – 16 September, 2018)
Gospel Reading: Mark 8:27-35
First Reading: Isaiah 50:5-9; Psalms: Psalm 115:1-6,8-9; Second Reading: James 2:14-18
The Scripture Text
And Jesus went on with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am? And they told Him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ.” And He charged them to tell no one about Him.
And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He said this plainly. And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him. But turning and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”
And He called to Him the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For who ever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:27-35 RSV)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross if we want to follow Him. He promises whoever saves His life will lose it and whoever gives his life for Him and for the Gospel will save it. Although taking up one’s cross can mean accepting life’s pains and disappointments, there is another possible interpretation.
In ancient times, very religious Jews who wanted to give their lives completely to God symbolically traced the Hebrew letter tau on their forehead. A tau looks like a + or an X. When a person traced it on the forehead, it meant the person belonged to God, similar to the brand put on cattle to identify their owner.
Since the tau resembled a cross, someone who dedicated their life to God in this way took up the cross. Therefore, the expression “to take up one’s cross” can mean giving one’s life to God. When Jesus says we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Him, he is talking about dedicating ourselves to Him. Those who save their lives (keep their lives for themselves) are the people who do not give their lives over to Him. These people are more concerned with their own pleasures than with pleasing God and, because of this, they will lose their chance at eternal life with Jesus in heaven.
On the other hand, those who give their lives for Jesus’ sake (freely dedicate themselves to Him) live for God rather than for self. God will reward them with eternal life.
Instead of tracing the tau on their foreheads, the early Christians dedicated themselves to Jesus by placing their right hand on their left shoulder and their left hand on their right shoulder, thus making an X (tau) across their chest. This practice gradually evolved into what Catholics and some other Christians now all “making the sign of the cross”. The sign of the cross is like our brand mark with which we identify ourselves as belonging to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
(Adapted from Jerome J. Sabatowich, Cycling Through the Gospels – Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B, and C, pages 204-205.)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, by Your Holy Spirit make me ready to lose my life for Jesus i.e. to give myself to Him. I do not want to hold something back, i.e. saving my life for myself. I also pray that I will be able to give more of myself to Jesus. Amen.
Daily Marriage Tip for September 16, 2018:
“You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mk 8:33) We are not always capable of understanding the way in which God works. But we must always trust and remain faithful to Him, despite our lack of understanding. He will not lead us astray.
Pastor’s Column
September 16, 2018
24th Sunday Ordinary Time
“And he asked them, ‘but who do you say that I am?’”
(from Matthew 8:27-35)
Who do you say that I am? This gospel always reminds me of a “pop-quiz” that teachers use to check on the progress of their students. One can imagine the disciples and Jesus enjoying an evening meal, perhaps by a fire, just relaxing after a successful day of preaching and healing. In the course of a simple conversation, without warning, Jesus asks a seemingly innocent question: “Who do the people say that I am?”
Who do you say that I am? Many answers are forthcoming: “Some say John the Baptist or Elijah or a prophet!” Perhaps they were laughing as they tried to come up with all the different takes on Christ. This is still true today. People see Jesus from many angles in this world: a savior, a threat to personal liberty, a heretic, a good man, a philosopher, someone to ignore, a Good Shepherd, a friend. Although we are all called to spread the good news of who Jesus really is, Jesus is not interested in this at this moment in the gospel: rather, he zeroes in on precisely who each person present—his closest disciples, think Jesus is. How would we answer this question?
Who do you say that I am? We answer this question by how we live. For example, if I only attend church when no better offer comes along (like a sunny day at the beach or a football game), or if I habitually leave church early without a good reason, or do not pray on a regular basis, one can conclude that Jesus is not #1 in my life—that which I give priority in my life to is perhaps more of a “lord” than Christ is!
Who do you say that I am? Jesus appears in many forms besides his sacramental presence in the Eucharist. For example, the sick child, parent or spouse I am caring for, the homeless and unemployed I gave food to, the unborn that I am trying to protect in a world that seems to place little value in them. Jesus is present in the terribly persecuted Christians in Syria and other places… did I see him there?
Who do you say that I am? When I am grateful for what I like, and especially what I don’t like (at the moment) in my life, I really am saying to Jesus, you are the Lord! Jesus is looking for a few good friends that really trust him in every age. He constantly challenges us, through the circumstances of each day, to recognize by our daily choices who we are saying that Jesus really is in our lives.
Father Gary
Christ Taking Leave of the Apostles, Duccio, 1308-1311
In today’s Gospel, we reach a pivotal moment in our walk with the Lord. After weeks of listening to His words and witnessing His deeds, along with the disciples we’re asked to decide who Jesus
truly is.
Peter answers for them, and for us, too, when he declares: “You are the Messiah.” Many expected the Messiah to be a miracle worker who would vanquish Israel’s enemies and restore the kingdom
of David (see John 6:15).
Jesus today reveals a different portrait. He calls himself the Son of Man, evoking the royal figure Daniel saw in his heavenly visions (see Daniel 7:13–14). But Jesus’ kingship is not to be of this world (see John 18:36). And the path to His throne, as He reveals, is by way of suffering and death.
Jesus identifies the Messiah with the suffering servant that Isaiah foretells in today’s First Reading. The words of Isaiah’s servant are Jesus’ words—as He gives himself to be shamed and beaten, trusting that God will be His help. We hear our Lord’s voice again in today’s Psalm, as He gives thanks that God has freed Him from the cords of death.
As Jesus tells us today, to believe that He is the Messiah is to follow His way of self-denial—losing our lives to save them, in order to rise with Him to new life. Our faith, we hear again in today’s Epistle, must express itself in works of love (see Galatians 5:6).
Notice that Jesus questions the apostles today “along the way.” They are on the way to Jerusalem, where the Lord will lay down His life. We, too, are on a journey with the Lord.
We must take up our cross, giving to others and enduring all our trials for His sake and the sake of the Gospel.
Our lives must be an offering of thanksgiving for the new life He has given us, until that day when we reach our destination, and walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
Father Robert Presutti
Mark 8:27-35
Now Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Messiah.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you came into this world to redeem sinners. I hope in you, and in your power to transform my soul, by your grace, from sinfulness to holiness. Lord, I love you and offer you the longings of my heart to put you truly first in my life. I want to love you with all my mind, heart, soul and strength.
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to know you and to follow closely after you.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, conform my heart to yours. Help me to value events and things the way you do. Help me love you above all things and be especially ready to follow you when it means a personal sacrifice or discomfort for me. Sustain me, Lord in my efforts to follow in your footsteps.
Resolution: Today I will accept difficulties with joy.
The disciples tell Jesus that people don’t know His true identity, but Peter, who did, was told not to tell them. Why?
St. Mark describes a conversation Jesus had with the disciples about His identity. He asked about the buzz on the street: “Who do people say that I am?” The answers were all wrong. Pressing the point, He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter got it right: “You are the Christ.” One might think Jesus would be eager to get the misperceptions cleared up. Why not commission Peter, on the spot, to go out and spread the good news? Instead, “He warned them not to tell anyone about Him.” Curious.
If we wonder why the time had not yet arrived for broadcasting Jesus’ identity, the next few verses help us understand. Jesus began to describe, in great detail, His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. St. Mark emphasizes for us how clearly Jesus said these things: “He spoke this openly.” Look at Peter’s response. In a tender way, Peter “took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.” Although Peter knew Jesus to be “the Christ,” or Messiah, did he really have a clue about what that meant? Imagine taking the Messiah aside to correct Him. Peter was in way over his head. In fact, this appeal to Jesus to turn away from the path of suffering smacked of the temptation Jesus had faced in the wilderness, when Satan tried to divert Him from God’s way of winning salvation for the world.
“Get behind Me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” What a sharp rebuke! Jesus is not suggesting that Peter has now become the property of Satan. See how He says, “Get behind Me,” rather than, “Be gone.” Jesus wants Peter to follow Him, not to try to lead Him away from His destiny, even though it includes great suffering. He is using the word, “Satan,” for the sake of its meaning, which is “adversary.” All men naturally shrink from physical pain and death.
It is no surprise that Peter tried to talk Jesus out of His dangerous plan. God, on the other hand, desired His Son to pass through suffering—and lots of it—in order to conquer it, then to hallow it. Once Jesus completed His work on the Cross, He sanctified for all time the loss of life that leads to saving it. He not only embraced His Cross, but He also called all His disciples to do likewise: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and that of the Gospel will save it.”
Why wasn’t Peter ready to go out and spread the news about Jesus? Peter had only known Jesus as the miracle worker, the healer, the One whom even the wind and seas obeyed. He needed to learn that Jesus was also the Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah, the One who would be like a sheep led to the slaughter. The Messiah would accomplish His plan in both strength and weakness. Until we are ready to follow Jesus wherever He leads (not trying to suggest an alternate plan that does an end run around suffering), we don’t really know Him—yet.
Possible response: Lord Jesus, in honesty, I never like to be reminded that following You means losing my life. Forgive me for when I’ve tried to be like Peter, looking for a different way.
Isaiah’s prophecy, so many years before Jesus was born, reminds us that the Messiah God promised to send to Israel was always destined to suffer. In chapters 50-55 of his book, Isaiah describes Israel’s “Suffering Servant.” The descriptions are so graphic that we cannot fail to see that they point to Jesus. The reason the Jews in Jesus’ day stumbled over His identity was because they expected (and wanted) a Davidic Messiah—a great king who would restore the glory of Israel. They did not expect Isaiah’s Suffering Servant. Even Peter, in our Gospel reading, can’t abide the idea of the Messiah’s suffering. And it got him into trouble.
Here, we see Isaiah describing one who stays the course of God’s plan, even in the face of physical brutality: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” How can this man endure such treatment? His confidence in God conquers any fear or temptation to turn back: “The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.” It was, indeed, the confidence of the Son in His Father’s love that enabled Jesus to endure His Passion and Death. That explains His flinty rebuke to Peter in the Gospel, warning him not to think as humans do. Jesus knew Himself to be both Davidic king and Suffering Servant, not one without the other. In the end, on the Cross, He was the only One, apart from Mary and the thief beside Him to whom He promised Paradise, to know this. After His glorious Resurrection, the words of Isaiah would be most appropriate on His lips: “See, the Lord God is My help; who will prove Me wrong?”
Possible response: Heavenly Father, help me set my face like flint toward You today, not turning back out of self-indulgence or distraction or fear.
This psalm helps us see why we should not fear the suffering that comes to all servants of the Lord: “I love the Lord because He has heard my voice in supplication, because He has inclined His ear to me the day I called.” The psalmist prophetically speaks of a time when one of God’s “little ones” would be “brought low.” Jesus was that “little one,” Whom “the cords of death encompassed” and “the snares of the netherworld seized.” Jesus knew that beyond His death was the Resurrection, as He told His followers “openly” in our Gospel today. He could pass through death, because the psalmist’s words were His own: “I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.”
Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.
St. James asks a pointed question: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” What good would it have been to Jesus (or us) if He had faith in His Father but was unwilling to go to the Cross? Our faith will always cost us something in action. Practically speaking, St. James tells us that our faith in God will mean acting on behalf of the needy who appear in our lives. We demonstrate our faith by our willingness to sacrifice ourselves (our convenience, our money, our energy, etc.) on behalf of others. This is simply doing on a small scale what Jesus did on a cosmic scale. Seeing our need for salvation, He left Heaven so that He could, in Himself, provide “the necessities” for our bodies—clothing us in His righteousness and feeding us on Eternal Bread.
Jesus has demonstrated His faith from His works; He calls us to do the same.
Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me keep my faith alive by keeping it active. Help me act for others as You have acted for me.
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