September 13. 2015: Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Photo: Sister Mary Ann DeFazio in her ministry as pastoral associate at St. Christopher parish in Speedway, Ind.)

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.” (Mark 8:27-35)

Reflection

Jesus continues to teach us in today’s gospel when he begins to talk about his death. These are hard words for Peter and the other disciples to hear. Before speaking these difficult words, he asks the disciples to tell him who they think he is. He wants them to know him, to understand why he is with them, and what he is sharing with them. He wants them to know how much God loves them and to love God in return.
The disciples, particularly Peter, are beginning to understand but they still have a lot to learn. How are we like the disciples? Through our parents and our church teachers we are also learning things about Jesus. But Jesus wants us to know him, really know him in our hearts, so we are able to follow him in both the good times and in the hard times. He says to do this we must deny ourselves – what does that mean? Could it be that we are to think of one another more than we think of ourselves? Could it mean that the needs of others are as important as our own needs, maybe more so? These are questions we will continually ask ourselves as we grow in knowing and loving Jesus.

Action

Let’s remember that Jesus wants us to know him. Maybe next Sunday after you have listened to this gospel at church, or read it yourself, you could ask yourself: “Who is Jesus in my life right now?” Think about how you have felt Jesus in your life in the good and bad times. What has that meant to you? If this is hard to answer, maybe you could find a little time and sit with Jesus and ask him to help you know him better.