24th Sunday - Fr. Leo
St. James, the author of our second reading, is always very practical in how faith is to find expression in our living. He posses an absurdity to make his point. Would we say to the hungry, naked and homeless person, “Have a good day, I’ll say a prayer for you?” True faith calls us to act like Jesus in the face of other’s genuine needs.
Though we would never be so blatant as to say, “Have a nice day, I’ll pray for you,” we may have created a comfort zone around us, where we don’t see or hear the cry of the poor. Finding the right balance between having and giving, is something each of us must decide. Being involved in building up the community through Caring and Sharing hands, St. Vincent de Paul, and similar groups, is a way to stay in touch with those in need and to do something that will make a difference.
Our response will be shaped by what we learn from todays Gospel. Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am? and, Who do you say that I am?” Peter gives the correct answer in saying that Jesus is the messiah the son of God, but he has no idea what that means.
When Jesus says he must suffer, Peter rebels and Jesus tells him he is in the way of God’s will. Jesus was not a political messiah, but the suffering messiah who accomplished victory over sin and death through a cross that preceded the resurrection.
To follow Jesus is to take up his cross, his and our own and our neighbors, and carry it. It is in this dying to our selfish-self that brings us to love others. This is what we are called to reflect on as each one of us determines what to keep and what to give in the face of other’s needs.
May God inspire us with his love, and may we come to taste the goodness of sacrificing for love. Amen.