The Word of God
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- This is such a rich text, perhaps a bit too familiar, that I need to read it prayerfully more than once and stay with the word or words that touch me today. Everything, in the text as in my whole life, revolves around the answer to the question, ‘Who do you say I am?’ I ask the Father to inspire in me the right answer, as he did with Peter.
- Jesus once again surprises his disciples, and us. The moment he proclaims himself the Messiah, he insists he is not the Messiah people were expecting but one who will bring about salvation through suffering: a huge contradiction for Peter as it is for us. I ask to be a true follower of Jesus, able to walk behind him on his way to the Cross, and the Resurrection.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- We live in times of turmoil in the Church, of a deep-seated mistrust in all leaders, including those in the Church. I listen to Jesus giving Peter the mission of being the rock upon which he chose to build his Church. Jesus, who here acknowledges he is the Christ, the promised one, made this choice of building his Church on Peter, when he could well have chosen a different way. I pray to be given the faith that was given to Peter, of professing Jesus as the Son of the living God.
- Yet, immediately after, the Gospel shows us Jesus using the strongest words to reproach Peter for his reaction to the foretelling of Jesus’ suffering. The Gospel does not hide the great limitations of Peter and his companions, on the contrary, it shows how difficult they found it to understand the message of Jesus and follow it. I pray for Pope Francis, for my bishop and for all Church leaders that they may, in their poverty and limitations, lead us towards faith in Jesus.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- This is a powerful passage about Jesus as the Son of God and how he is both understood and misunderstood. This is true for those to whom he preached but also for those he had both chosen and was trying to nurture as future ministers. Some of these key people just hadn’t grasped the most basic of their calling, the “who” they were following. However, Peter, for all his weaknesses, did grasp it, but possibly had different hopes for how things would unfold. Our human thinking can block the unfolding of God’s plan. We are constantly invited to keep our focus on the will of God.
- Take a moment to sit with the Lord and ask him to reveal to you how he sees your understanding of him. Allow him to reveal the truth of how this understanding may both facilitate or block how you witness as his disciple. Ask him for the grace you need at this time.