Last week, our Gospel ended on a very positive tone, as Jesus praised Peter for his confession of faith. This week, the tone very quickly changes. Jesus, immediately after acknowledging that he is the Christ, tells his disciples exactly what that means for his life and ministry on earth. He speaks, not of glory and praise, but of suffering, persecution and death. These words are almost too much to bear. Peter, puffed up by the praise that Jesus has just given him, rebukes Jesus, declaring that what Jesus has said cannot be true. As a result, Peter goes from being told that he is blessed, to being told that he is an obstacle, because he is thinking as human beings do, and not as God does. Talk about putting your foot in your mouth!
Why does Jesus react so harshly? To answer that question, we need to understand what the Jewish people were expecting the Messiah to do. They expected the Messiah to be a great military leader, who would deliver the people of Israel from their oppressors, and usher in a new Jewish kingdom, along with an era of peace and prosperity. This is no doubt what Peter was expecting when he declared that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus, however, sees things differently. He does want to bring victory over our enemies, but the enemies he comes to fight are sin and death. He also wants to usher in a new kingdom, but instead of an earthly one, it is the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, which is a kingdom of justice and mercy.
Jesus also makes it clear that the path to enter this kingdom is through imitating his example. We are called to deny ourselves, to take up our crosses, and follow Jesus. In essence, we have to “let go, and let God.” We are called to accept that God is in control, and that he is leading us to eternal life, even if the path to eternal life doesn’t always make sense. Can we accept this? Or do we, like Peter, want things to go our own way?
This weekend, I have some very happy news that I wish to share with you. We have just received word that Edward Czilli, our Permanent Deacon Candidate, has received his official call to the Sacrament of Holy Orders. He will be Ordained to the Diaconate by Bishop Fabbro on November 18, 2023 at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in London. We are working on plans to celebrate with Edward as he is Ordained, so keep an eye on the bulletin for more information. Please continue to pray for Edward as he prepares for his Ordination.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Steven Huber, CSB