Gospel – Mark 8:27-35
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.
What good news there is here!
This Jesus who is my friend is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
He is asking me to deny myself and come after him.
He wants me to take up my cross and follow him.
It is quite a challenge and I don’t know if I am able or if it even makes sense.
So many human beings around me think that I should put myself first.
Jesus tells me I am thinking as human beings do and not as God does.
He wants me to save my life.
To save my life, I must lose it for the sake of Jesus and his gospel.
Am I willing to change my way of thinking?
Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.