Watts, Kimie Lee S.

Weekly Reflection of the Holy Mass August 30, 2020

11-SJB

Accepting Self Denial So As To Accomplish God’s Will

Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27

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." Then Jesus told
his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take
up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those
who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the
whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? For the
Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay
everyone for what has been done."

Homily:

Peter was reading Jesus from a human perspective. He failed to realize that
Jesus had to carry the cross. His outlook of Jesus was the reflection of his own ideals
and views on life and its meaning. He was unable to catch up with God’s perspective
and divine thinking on matters of life and its meaning. Jesus made it clear that he ‘was
destined’ to go to Jerusalem. It denotes a divine imperative with a theological meaning.
It is the will of God that it is going to happen because it is part of God’s plan of salvation.
Bible has the history of every unsettling prophet removed from the midst of a stubborn
people. But the Gospel insists that the death of Jesus is the part of God’s plan, which
Jesus accepted freely. It is this plan that Peter failed to understand. It is to this God’s
design that he showed resistance. Peter needed time and had to go through a series of
experience before he understood God’s perspectives. Anyone who understands well the
mystery of Jesus and the nature of his mission also understands what it means to be his
disciple. It is to renounce the focus on oneself and to shift the same on God and others.
This implies an acceptance of adversity and putting up with difficulties patiently. What is
needed is to just to imitate him. Jesus never compromised His fidelity to the Father and
to His Mission, and he remained faithful even to the point of giving up his life. In this way
Jesus reveals God’s perspective of life and its mission.

Reflection:

Jesus was so single-minded, he knew very well what putting love as the greatest
commandment and being close to the poor would mean. Yet he did not shy away from
his mission; on the contrary he scolded his closest friend very fiercely, even calling him
Satan. He then calls us to follow him on his way to the cross by carrying our own cross
every day. If we are to be followers of Jesus, we need to let him lead, accepting that he
will not lead us away from suffering, pain or difficulty. Instead of seeking our own benefit
and gain, we allow every experience, even in moments of distress, to draw us into
closer relationship with Jesus who invites us to lay our burdens on his shoulders.