12th Sunday (C)
Whoever wishes to save his life
In today’s Gospel of St. Matthew 16:13-20 we read the same account
of St. Luke about Peter recognizing who Jesus was. We hear Jesus conferring
to Peter a title. Jesus will say to Simon Peter you are "keefa" Mat. 16:17.
In the Aramaic language Keefa means rock. We heard this same name worded
in the film of Mel Gibson’s "The Passion" that spoke the Aramaic Language,
the Old Language of the people in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. When translated
to theLatin Language, "keefa" was said "Petrus," from petra which means rock
in that language. From that came to us the word Peter in English. About this
title St. Ambrose of Milan says: "It is to Peter himself that Jesus says:
"You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church. Where Peter is,
there is the Church. And where the Church is, no death is there, but life
eternal."
This title given to Simon as Peter (rock) took another meaning in today’s
Gospel Lk.9:18-24. St. Luke will see in this a message that Peter needs to
suffer so as to be a real disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, St. Luke will
show us Jesus immediately speaking about his suffering: "The Son of Man must
suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders...and be killed and on the third
day be raised."
Peter will refuse the notion of suffering. He had been given a title
so as to become something and not to suffer. And for Peter, Jesus is the
Messiah, the Christ of God, why should He suffer. In our lives, we see the
same kind of things. A person with a title is an important person that we
accept with difficulties to see him or her in a situation of weakness. It
is sometimes as a scandal to us. And we wonder how it could happen to him.
Jesus calls all his disciples to be ready to take up their crosses
because this is the way that God works, there are no titles: "For whoever
wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake
will save it."
A lot of people are happy to be Christians. But when they have any
kind of suffering these same people lose their mind and start to doubt their
faith.
A Christian who does not know that suffering is part of his faith denies
the meaning of the Jesus’ suffering for our salvation. A Christian who does
not accept suffering as a way to join and share in his Savior's sacrifice
is not a real Christian. A Christian who fears suffering is a Christian who
cannot redeem or save anybody.
All Jesus' disciples suffered and accepted it as a gift of love. Jesus
says to us today: "if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself,
take up his cross daily and follow me."
There is no title that exempts us from suffering in this world.
Suffering can be a way to live our real Christianity.