The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
The Gospel today tends to irk me.
I know, I know, the Word of God should not strike this kind of chord in me. Maybe because I see too much of myself in Peter - eager to please, quick to reprimand. And dwelling on the bad without recognizing the good.
If I was Peter and Jesus just confirmed that He was the Christ, my mind would immediately be filled with all sorts of grand thoughts. I would be excited to be a part of the mission, honored to be chosen, and impatient to see what the future holds. Suffering and rejection would not be anywhere on the menu. Glory, fame, and victory would be where my hopes might lie.
Interesting too that when Jesus reveals his entire plan to His disciples, including the most glorious thing about his mission- his resurrection- it is completely missed by Peter. It is totally human to fear suffering. It’s what keeps us from touching the hot stove, and compels us to wear a jacket in the winter. But here, Jesus is calling us to something that is not natural to humans. He is calling us to be like Him, to take up our crosses, to deny ourselves, and to lose our lives.
The readings today remind us that suffering is part of the equation, no matter how irksome that might be. Jesus guarantees suffering. But don’t make the same mistake that Peter makes, and forget the resurrection. When we enter into something difficult, remember that the Lord intends to bring good out of it somehow. The deepest suffering brings about glorious resurrection.
Jennifer Stavinoha lives in Bryan, TX with her husband and three little girls. She loves reading, experimenting in the kitchen, and judging international figure skating from her couch. Jennifer is the Co-Director for Ablaze Ministries’ parent outreach ministry, Beyond the Pew. To find out more, check out the Beyond the Pew Facebook group, Instagram or website. Connect with Jennifer on Instagram.