(Fr. Paweł Ratajczak, OMI, Sept. 3, 2023)
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HOMILY: SUNDAY, SEPT. 3, 2023
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The Gospel of this, the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, recounts to us the second part of Jesus’ encounter with His apostles at Caesarea Philippi. Last week, we heard of St. Peter’ profession of faith – “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”, and Our Lord’s stupendous response – “on this rock I will build my Church.” Today, St. Peter earns a rebuke from Jesus, after trying to persuade Him to take a way apart from the Cross.
As we had heard, Jesus explains to his disciples that He must accept great suffering in Jerusalem, be killed, and be raised on the third day. St. Peter disagrees, and tells the Master, “This must never happen to you.” St. Athanasius translates Peter’s words as “Cheer up Lord” (The Faith of the Early Fathers, William A. Jurgens ed., vol. 1, pg. 340, 1970). Cheer up, hey, it doesn’t have to be so bad, “can we not try to work this out in another way, Lord?” Peter seems to be saying. As a consequence, he earns a strong rebuke from Christ – “get behind me, Satan,” Satan referring here to a stumbling block, or an obstacle. And yet, even after this rebuke, St. Peter is not dismissed from his post. St. Peter remains the rock upon which the Church is to be built. The promise that Christ made to St. Peter, the promise which we heard in last Sunday’s Gospel, still remains.
After this episode, Our Lord emphasizes to his disciples that “if anyone wants to become my follower, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” St. Leo the Great comments on this passage, saying, “at all times must we bear the Cross: which for each one is rightly called his, for it is borne by each one in his own way and measure” (The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, M.F. Toal, ed., vol. 2, pg. 147, 1958). What St. Leo is implying is that our own individual cross is, so to speak, custom made. We have our own way of carrying this cross. For one, it may be a physical illness; for another, it may be psychological suffering; for another yet, it may be a sense of unfulfillment in life; and so on. Each of our crosses is tailor-made for us, personally adjusted, and picked out especially for us. Pope St. Gregory the Great, whose feast day we observe today, has this to add about carrying the cross: “There are two ways of taking up our cross; when the body is afflicted by abstinence, or when the heart is pained by compassion for another” (Catena Aurea, vol.1, pg. 486, 2014). When we fast, or abstain from something good, we take up the cross. Also, when we are moved with compassion at the suffering of someone, we also take up our cross. Abstinence and compassion, these are the two ways that St. Gregory suggests in carrying the cross.
These explanations may be a comfort to us, but there still will be times in life when we cry out with the Prophet Jeremiah, “O Lord, you have enticed me…You have overpowered me.” There are times when the cross seems too heavy, and you cry out, Lord, give me another cross. This is when we need to ask for the “renewing of your minds” in the words of St. Paul from the second reading, so that we can discern how the Good Lord is supporting us, walking alongside of us, picking us up, on the pilgrimage of life.
In his reflection on the cross, St. Leo also gives a warning to those whom the Evil One cannot get to fail in virtue. The Devil tries to “undo the faith of those whose virtue he cannot overthrow” (The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, M.F. Toal, ed., vol. 2, pg. 148, 1958). So, those who are strong in virtue will suffer temptations to their faith – perhaps they will be tempted to doubt, or even to despair. We can think of all the “I believe” statements of the Creed – “I believe in God, the Father almighty;” “I believe in One Lord Jesus Christ;” “I believe in the Holy Spirit;” “I believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” Where is the Church found? As the Vatican II constitution Lumen Gentium spells out, “This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him” (Lumen Gentium 8). If the Devil is not able to get us to fail in virtue, he will attack our faith. And so, we might be tempted to lose faith in something that the Creed professes.
In closing, we all have our cross to carry. As we follow Jesus, our Lord and Master, we remember that his Cross led not only to Calvary, but also to the glory of the Resurrection. As we carry our daily cross, let us call upon Mary, the Mother of God, to help us keep the faith.