24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
16 September 2018
| Second reading James 2:14-18 |
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What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
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.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.
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.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.
By Arthur B. Reyes
A man went to buy a rosary and immediately cut the cross attached to it. "I only like the beads" he explained. He doesn't like the cross, he simply wanted the glittering beads on it.
Just like some of us, we call ourselves Christians, but we don’t live to the meaning of it. We would like to take the cross out of our life. When life is fun, and things are going well, it’s easier to put our trust in the Lord. We are even inclined to credit ourselves for our own blessings, and no one else. But when difficulties arise, and everything seems to go wrong, we blame God for our misfortunes. We think that He is punishing us for our misgivings and sins.
At the very center of our faith is the cross. It was our greed, hatred, selfishness, pride, and jealousy that were responsible for His death. God our Father sent us his Son to save us from these sins as we were so helpless and entangled by them. Jesus sacrificed His life and died in the cross to take away our sins. So that by His death, we will live with hope of forgiveness through God’s mercy and grace. All we must do is to trust and put our faith in Him.
Whatever difficulties we are into, be it health problems, financial hardships, failed relationships, or any dilemma that life brings to us, trust Jesus. We carry our cross and at the same time embrace it, it is the way we bear our burdens. God’s love and grace is overflowing and unlimited. It is up to us to claim these.
Prayer
A man went to buy a rosary and immediately cut the cross attached to it. "I only like the beads" he explained. He doesn't like the cross, he simply wanted the glittering beads on it.
Just like some of us, we call ourselves Christians, but we don’t live to the meaning of it. We would like to take the cross out of our life. When life is fun, and things are going well, it’s easier to put our trust in the Lord. We are even inclined to credit ourselves for our own blessings, and no one else. But when difficulties arise, and everything seems to go wrong, we blame God for our misfortunes. We think that He is punishing us for our misgivings and sins.
At the very center of our faith is the cross. It was our greed, hatred, selfishness, pride, and jealousy that were responsible for His death. God our Father sent us his Son to save us from these sins as we were so helpless and entangled by them. Jesus sacrificed His life and died in the cross to take away our sins. So that by His death, we will live with hope of forgiveness through God’s mercy and grace. All we must do is to trust and put our faith in Him.
Whatever difficulties we are into, be it health problems, financial hardships, failed relationships, or any dilemma that life brings to us, trust Jesus. We carry our cross and at the same time embrace it, it is the way we bear our burdens. God’s love and grace is overflowing and unlimited. It is up to us to claim these.
Prayer
Lord, show me the way to You. Surround us with Your love, fill us with Your grace, and strengthen us. Empower us to respond to the call of Jesus – to deny ourselves, to take up our crosses, and to follow Him. In His Name we pray, Amen.
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