Gospel: Luke 9:18-22
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
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?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for Jackie Stanislaus RIP.
Reflection:
In yesterday’s Gospel, we read Herod being perplexed as to who Jesus was. In today’s Gospel, the Lord asked His followers “who do you say that I am?” Strangely, after Peter responded, “The Christ of God”, Jesus “rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.” He went on to say, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Perhaps the Lord is reminding them that before He is glorified as the Christ, He would first experience suffering and death in the hands of unjust men. By telling them His imminent passion, Jesus challenged the Apostles to know more about Him, to discern who He really is in their life. Fr Donald Haggerty wrote: “Drawing closer to God will always demand the search for Him in the swirling dust of Jerusalem on that last Friday of His short life or on our knees before a tabernacle or monstrance…Can we ever love Him enough while looking upon this mystery of His crucified divine presence in the Eucharist?”
- Who is Jesus for you?
- What does the Mass tell you about Jesus as the Christ of God?
- What would be the Church be if Jesus did not suffer and die on the cross?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Grant us a heart that will always search for and follow You. Amen.
Sincerely,
Pietro
