THE WORD
FIRST READING: Zech 12,10-11;13,1
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of mercy and supplication, so that when they look on him whom they have thrust through, they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and they will grieve for him as one grieves over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David* and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to purify from sin and uncleanness.
SECOND READING: Gal 3,26-29
For through faith you are all children of God* in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.
GOSPEL: Lk 9, 18-24
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Messiah of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
IN OTHER WORDS
Last year, David Cameron, the British prime minister, described moslem terrorists as not being true moslems. Probably their greatest weakness is that they equate their worldly ambitions with God’s will. It appears that they do not know God, only what they want for themselves.
Many Christians make the same mistake, albeit without the same horri c consequences. But it is important for us is to come to know Jesus through living with him and trying to become like him, sharing his life in everything we do. Peter, who stands for all the apostles and the whole Church, had gradually come to know Christ and so was able to make his confession: “the Messiah of God”.
After many years of trying in its and starts to come closer to Christ to get to really know him, my aspiration would now be like St. Paul’s, “Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” I hope gradually I can eventually open myself to Christ so that it is my nature to do only God’s will through Christ. Discernment is our coming so close to Christ that we eventually aspire not to seek/wish for anything contrary to God’s will. In John’s gospel, Jesus says, “. . . whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
The Anglican theologian Professor Fuller wrote, “it is putting the cart before the horse to approach the Gospels with this kind of question: If Christ is divine, why could he not do (or say or know) this or that? We hear first what he says and see what he does, and then, as we encounter the presence of God in him who is truly human, we confess with Peter, ‘You are the Christ of God.’” Many other people have recently condemned terrorist acts by “fake moslems”. However, we Christians often tend to hold Christ at arm’s length, trying to limit his in uence in our lives so that we can use him without allowing him to use us. Does this mean that we are “fake Christians”? Just as “fake moslems” miss much beauty in their religion, so we “limited” Christians deprive ourselves of the best in our religion – in fact we deprive ourselves of Christ.
- Fr. Alan Meechan, SVD | Naujan, Or. Mindoro
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
