Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 18-22
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 Christ 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.”
Who am I?
1. Prayer. Luke really emphasizes the importance of prayer. Each day, set aside a time to talk with Jesus. Don’t make any decision without praying and speaking with God first. That private moment with God is important in order to be illuminated by him, especially in your most crucial moments. Prayer is your soul’s breathing center. Never give up praying, strive to do so every day and don’t be discouraged. Remember, prayer is your strength.
2. Who are you? Today, I would like to look at this question from a more introspective view. Who are you and where are you going? Do you identify yourself with Jesus? Where is your life headed towards? Answering these questions will tell you who God is in your life. Selfishness or narcissism can lead you to believe you are something you’re not or to maintain an image of yourself that is not realistic. You must look at yourself honestly and answer these questions. Don’t be surprised or disheartened when you look in the mirror and say to yourself, “Oh, what have I become?” or “But I was not like this before”.
3. Accept life. Jesus is aware of the price of redemption. He doesn’t shrink from what He’ll have to face, He knows what his path is, and He knows that his death and resurrection will give us freedom. He is absolutely conscious of what He must go through in order to redeem us, to conquer death for us to resurrect and have life. Just as a university student knows that he must pass many exams if he wants to enjoy his profession later, if you want to enjoy life, you must be aware of the fact that there will be decisive moments of renunciation and of acceptance. For you cannot redeem what you do not accept.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
