Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father Andrjez Wyrostek
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 3, 2023

My dear friends, a week ago we read the Gospel passage when Jesus asked his Disciples and us, “who do people say that I am?” Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, some Jerimiah, or some of the other prophets.

Then Jesus asks the Disciples a direct question, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter right away responds with the divine revelation. “You are Christ. The Son of the living God.” 

A beautiful exchange takes place immediately today as Jesus affirms Peter’s response. You know, “it is not your wisdom or flesh and blood that has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father,” and then he gives Peter a special task to do. 

This weekend, we see another sight of the exchange between Jesus and Peter. Jesus is telling the Disciples, there’s some things that have to happen for the Messiah to fulfill his mission, his work. And as soon as Peter hears about Jesus planning to undergo the sufferings and the pain and the Cross, he objects to it like every one of us would. As we love Christ, as we love God, if we see something wrong being done to Jesus, we would object to it. But then Jesus looks at Peter and rebukes him calling him in a very, kind of mean almost way, “get behind me, Satan. You’re not thinking as God does but as human beings do.”

You see, that’s the challenge. Our faith is not an experience of feel good moments. Our faith is more than just making sure that God listens to our needs and fulfills them immediately. But our faith calls us to look into our relationship with Christ and say, “I love you. I trust you. I want to follow in your footsteps.” 

And that means, as Jesus tells us, “if you want to follow me, you have to take up your Cross and carry it.” And he doesn’t just tell us that we need to do it. Jesus, continuing to fulfill his mission, will prove that love for us, His trust in us by taking up his Cross. 

Who is Jesus for you and why did you give that answer? What is it you look forward to as you follow in the footsteps of Christ? That is the question for us for this week. I invite all of us to ponder this spiritual, life-giving question. As Jesus invites us, not only invites us, but also encourages, by his own presence in that journey, and in those in the sacraments we receive.