Of all the Apostles, I think Peter is the one that I can relate to the most. After all, Peter is the Apostle whose humanity is most often on display, just as it is in today’s Gospel. Peter is the one who time and time again says and does everything right, and then, in the matter of a few short verses, winds up getting knocked down a few pegs, as he realizes that things aren’t always the way he would like them to be!
This is especially true when Jesus begins to speak about his passion, death, and resurrection. It’s hard enough to hear someone talking about how they’re going to die when they receive a terminal diagnosis. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been to hear Jesus talk about willingly surrendering himself to be killed, all for a plan that Peter didn’t fully comprehend. No wonder, in that moment, he decides to rebuke Jesus- after all, Jesus’ words likely didn’t match the image of the Messiah that Peter had in his head.
Jesus responds to Peter by telling him that he is thinking as humans do, not as God does. And in this rebuke of Peter, and Jesus’ teaching following this rebuke, lies a challenge for all of us. We are continually called to look at the bigger picture: to seek the will of God in all things, and understand that many times, God’s will is very different from our own! We are also called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. In doing so, we demonstrate our commitment to our faith through our actions, as St. James instructs us to do in today’s Second Reading.
Faith in action can take many forms. As we mark the 20th Anniversary of the terror attacks on the United States this weekend, I am reminded of how so many put their faith into action in the days following the horrific events of 9/11- whether by aiding the rescue efforts, consoling those who had lost loved ones, participating in fundraisers, supporting first responders- the list goes on and on. In times of tragedy, we very often see the best of humanity, and we quickly realize that we are stronger united than we are divided. What if we were to live in that spirit of unity at all times, without the need of a tragedy to bring us together? I guarantee if we could live that way, we would make the world a very different place! And that, brothers and sisters, is what seeking God’s will is all about. It’s about laying aside our pride, and our thoughts about how we think the world should be, and focusing instead on seeking out God’s will. And when we do that, we can truly set the world on fire!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Steven Huber, CSB