Thursday, February 13, 2020

Reflection for Thursday February 20, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 8:27-33


Gospel: Mark 8:27-33
Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
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Reflection:
Are you afraid of sufferings? 

When Jesus told the disciples that He will have to go through severe sufferings and eventually be killed. Peter took Jesus aside and he rebuked Jesus. Perhaps Peter had this notion that Jesus was immune to sufferings because he is God. But to suffer severely was part of Jesus destiny, He had to go through it to achieve His salvific mission for us.

What happened after Jesus suffering and death on the cross? There was glorious resurrection, salvation and after a few days ascension into to heaven.  What could have happened if Jesus did not suffer, if Jesus did not die on the cross?

We being humans are also bound to suffer, there will be episodes of sufferings in our lives for so long as we exist. But let us not be afraid of these sufferings for these are part of our lives. Let us rather take these sufferings as our glorious opportunity to get closer to Jesus. For it’s in our sufferings that we’ll achieve personal relationship with Jesus.

If Jesus suffered who are we not to go through sufferings? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

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