Gospel: Luke 9:43B-45
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for Greta O’ Laughlin RIP (11.00 AM) and Sisters of Nazareth Feast days (5.00 PM).
Reflection:
At the height of Jesus’ popularity, the disciples were quite comfortable. However, Jesus tells them that He will be arrested, tried, and killed. The followers did not get the message across. In fact, Peter told Jesus “God forbit it, Lord” (Matthew 16:22). Today’s Gospel tells is that the disciples were afraid to ask Jesus what He meant. They learnt it the hard way when they saw for themselves Jesus being taken away from them. They learnt it the hard way when they got scared and ran away. When the Holy Spirit descended on them, they understood the mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Gaining that understanding, they faithfully followed the footsteps of their Teacher. Down through the ages, more and more people followed Jesus. Some have even offered their lives for the sake of the Gospel such as the brothers Saints Cosmas and Damian whose martyrdom we remember today. Tradition has it that they were physicians who served their patients free of charge. They were martyred during the Diocletian persecutions of the late 3rd and early 4th centuries.
- What lessons have you learnt from your own painful experiences?
- How do you make sense of human suffering such as persecution and poverty happening in the world today?
- What kinds of service can you offer the parish for free? Have you considered volunteering your service at all?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Through the prayers and example of Saints Cosmas and Damian reveal to us the mystery of Your Passion, Death, and Resurrection so that united with You we may joyfully proclaim the Gospel to all. Amen.
Sincerely,
Pietro
