September 16, 2012

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading: Isaiah 50:5-9

   The Lord God opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?

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Second Reading: James 2:14-18

   What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

Gospel Reading: 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 Messiah." 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: Fr. James Theophilus 

   Peter was oscillating between the divine revelation and human thinking. Peter was receiving divine revelation. Jesus was the messiah was not acquired by human thinking. Human thinking could take people to consider Jesus as a prophet. It could not go beyond that. But Jesus was the messiah was given by God. (It was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven).
   Peter was trying to mix divine revelation with human thinking. Peter wanted a messiah according to his human thinking. But Jesus was presenting a messiah according to the plan of God. Jesus was presenting a suffering messiah. Peter could not see the sense of this. His human thinking found this as a contradiction. Peter who was open to divine revelation should have been also open to the divine revelation in Jesus.