22Nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
In our Gospel Reading this weekend we see Jesus starting to prepare his Apostles for the journey he must make to Jerusalem which ends up with Jesus on the Cross. In foretelling his sufferings and death, which took place some months later, Christ intended to prepare his disciples and other followers for the severe crisis of faith that would hit them after the crucifixion. He also took the occasion to remind his disciples, and all the others of what their attitude to suffering and death should be. He told them, and us too, that we must be ever ready to accept sufferings in this life, and even an untimely death if that should be demanded of us, rather than deny our Christian faith. Peter is appalled at this prospect and tries to deflect Jesus from the path that lies ahead and yet it was peter who was crucified as well. After having declared Jesus to be the Christ, a title associated with victory and glory, Peter now denies that Jesus must suffer. Peter wants to banish suffering from the agenda; Jesus brings the subject to the forefront of the conversation as he knew he would suffer and give up his life.
Jesus faced suffering which could only be conquered if it was accepted If the suffering was to pass, it had to be endured. He faced rejection which could be transformed only if he assented to it. He told them “For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it”. The way of the cross which Jesus followed in Jerusalem was one which passed through streets and markets, by houses and palaces, by windows and doors. While it happened people went about their business not giving the procession to calvary a second thought and here we are in 2023 giving this reading a second thought. There are so many people who are suffering from so many things and situations in our communities these days and for many there seems to be no end to the suffering that they are going through mentally or physically. As Christians we live in the assurance that our own particular way of the cross does not go unnoticed that Jesus is there with us helping us bear the cross. Remember the story of the footprints in the sand their was only one set of footprints in the picture.
As Jesus was carrying the person in the story, anyone who has a cross to bear is the person in that story being carried along the long and hard road of suffering by Jesus. Jesus notices and understands what we are going through and he is our companion along the way he is our strength and our shield; his power is mighty and we see it most of all in our weakness. If the cross we carry is the price to be paid for love, then carrying it is love in action and I know many people who are actually carrying the cross today paying the price for the deep love they have shown to their families and friends. It is enough for us to know that all our sufferings large or small were nailed to the Cross on that first Good Friday through the love that God the Father had to send us his Son to be with us for all time.
Fullerton T 