Sunday Gospel Reflection (09/16/18)

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 Christ.”
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.”

Reflection on the Gospel

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

Leading up to this passage, we see Jesus performing many miracles.  Jesus questioned his disciples on their beliefs about what they believed Jesus to be.  Lest they see him only as a miracle worker, he spoke to them of his upcoming suffering. Jesus challenged his disciples that if they wanted to be his disciple, it was necessary to deny themselves and enter into suffering in order to gain the fullness of life Jesus offered.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle is a prime example of someone who denied himself, suffered persecution, disappointment, and desertions by his own Brothers but felt called by God to set aside his own life so that he could provide hope for a better life for the poor, uneducated youth in France.

Is there some aspect of your life that God is calling you to deny so that you can carry out His plan for your life?  Are you willing to listen to what God is calling you to?

 

Ms. Margaret “Peggy” Perkins
Director of Campus Ministry – Christian Brothers Academy-Syracuse