September 13, 2015
24th Sunday Ordinary Time
Certain spoken words are word-events. God says: “Let there be light.†When one says to another: “I love you.†Words have power to change reality; consider an affirming word, a hurtful word, a hateful word, a healing word. Last week Jesus emphatically says to a deaf and mute person: “Ephphatha†– “Be opened.†His hearing is restored and the speech impediment is removed not only to listen to birds sing but to hear and live the Word of God. Today Simon Peter responds to a question of Jesus: “Who do people say that I am?†by acknowledging Jesus is “the Christ†– the Messiah, the anointed of God. Peter disapproves when Jesus explains what this title means and will entail (rejection, suffering and death). Jesus calls Peter “satan†i.e. an adversary, one who is trying to trip him up, a stumbling stone. Jesus understands “Christ†as a suffering servant (Isaiah) who will bring God’s salvation through his fidelity to the mission entrusted to him by the Father and his willingness to embrace the cross. Peter objects to Jesus’ suffering but also to the probability that this fate will be in the cards for him. Only with time and by God’s grace does Simon Peter come to a deeper understanding and the conviction/courage to follow Jesus. It is true for all of us. Do we truly understand the promises we make as priests, deacons and lay persons? Only in time can we fully comprehend the words we utter. May the transforming grace of God and the Spirit of Jesus at work in Simon Peter, be active in us.
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