Mk 8:27-33
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly.
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
The Good News and the Truth
I read recently that you can get good news or you can get the truth, but not both. While I don’t entirely agree with this idea, it offers a helpful point of reflection for today’s Gospel. The good news? Jesus is the Messiah! The truth? “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed.” To truly celebrate the good news that Jesus is the Messiah, we must also accept the reality, the truth, of his suffering. It can be hard to accept the truth that accompanies good news. Buying a house, having a child, getting a promotion, being accepted to your dream school – all exciting, but all can be scary too.
Today, ask Jesus to help you find redemption through his suffering, to accept the exciting and the scary, the celebratory and the challenging, the good news and the truth.
—Jackie Schulte is the Dean of Faculty Formation at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Prayer
Jesus Christ, may your death be my life
and in your dying may I learn how to live.
May your struggles be my rest,
Your human weakness my courage,
Your embarrassment my honor,
Your passion my delight,
Your sadness my joy,
In your humiliation may I be exalted.
In a word, may I find all my blessings in your trials.
Amen.
—St. Peter Faber, SJ