Friday, September 25, 2020 - 25th week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 18-22 - The Son of Man came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the multitude.

When Jesus asked his disciples how they knew him, Peter replied, "The Christ of God," that is, "He who is anointed by God. God anointed him to save the world. The Jewish people have waited so long for the Messiah or Savior. The disciples realized that Jesus has all the qualities to be the awaited Savior or Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One of God. He whom God sent to preach the Good News to the poor and oppressed. Peter's profession of faith is proof that his teaching reached the hearts of the disciples. However, the disciples' knowledge of Jesus-the Messiah who was to suffer his passion and die on the cross-must remain secret. For He alone knows how he must die. Not as the Messiah who should be the liberator of the people of Israel from the yoke of Roman occupation, but as the One who came to free men from the fetters of sin and the grip of death. The people therefore do not know him well enough as the true Christ, the Savior of the world before he was resurrected. Only at His resurrection is faith in Him complete and perfect.

Jesus' resurrection is therefore the foundation of our faith. It is the breath that keeps our Christian identity alive and it is the force that animates our daily life. Jesus leads us to where he himself has gone because we cannot be truly Christian unless we accept to suffer for love of others. Commitment in the Church reflects this suffering. We do not deserve to be true disciples of Jesus if we do not carry the cross with him. It is a joy to perform church service when it is done with sincerity and love, but true love is inseparable from the cross. Amen.