Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16,21-27
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “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 will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.”
Men’s thoughts are not those of God
1) Announce: Jesus is clear about what He must face. His announcement is not that of someone who is victimized but rather someone who assumes what he has to go through. He “grabs the bull by the horns” and faces it head on. He tells them the plan in order to prepare his disciples, and it is a way for Him to prepare himself to see what position He is in. If we know that a hard week is coming, we shouldn’t victimize ourselves … rather assume the reality and realize that the hard moments of life must be faced, like Jesus faced them, and prepare those around you to be your support system. Life is not a bed of roses. Success in life is built on failed attempts and difficult situations that you must face.
2) Obstacles: the thought of Pedro can become your thought : the “nothing is going to happen” thought.
But, things happen and have to happen… you can’t escape the hard and difficult moments, in this you can find several types of “Pedros” : Those “Pedros” that invite you to escape the reality that you must face. The “Pedro” of drugs or alcohol; the “Pedro” of habitually leaving your home to get away …and leave your wife and your children alone, so you can go with your friends to a barbecue or bowling alley to forget about your responsibilities for awhile. The “Pedro” of filling your time with work in order to “not think”about it all. Today Jesus comes to tell you that this leads to anguish and confusion. As one father of the Church says: “What is not assumed is not redeemed.”
3) His action: You know you will have difficult moments, but your whole life will not be difficult. It is in each stage and struggle where you win and lose, it’s a gamble; you cannot have everything in life. It would be kind of ridiculous for a professional to go to work every day with his teddy bear and his favorite teenage T-shirt. We must give up things in order to grow up and mature .
Your accomplishments will show you how you are doing, and your close friends will be that signal that will indicate how much you have grown.
Face your troubles; carry your cross, don’t drag it. This life has it’s challenges, don’t try to escape them, you can overcome them !
God bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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