Happy day under the Maternal Gaze of the B.V. of Lourdes.

Commentary on the readings for the VI Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C [16 February 2025].

God bless us and may the Virgin protect us.

*First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (17, 5 - 8)

 The prophet Jeremiah begins solemnly: "Thus says the Lord" to warn that what we are about to hear is important and serious because it is the "Lord" - that is, the very God of the Sinai Covenant - who says: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man". Here, however, two questions arise: can God curse man? And why and in what sense is trusting a man wrong? There is no doubt about it: God cannot curse us, and the Hebrew expression translated 'cursed' in the prophets is 'arur' (אָרוּר), which appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, and its meaning is not to be understood as a direct action of God cursing, but rather as a declaration of the state of ruin or disgrace into which those who turn away from Him fall. It is therefore a prophetic warning and 'cursed is the man who trusts in man' does not indicate an active action of God, but a warning of this kind: if you choose to trust only in men and not in God, you put yourself in a situation of insecurity and failure. In the biblical mentality, God is the source of life and blessing (berakha), and turning away from Him automatically leads to 'arur (ruin, barrenness, failure). So when the prophets use 'curse', they are saying: 'Beware, this road leads to your destruction'. It is not God who casts a curse as an arbitrary punishment, but it is a spiritual law: when you stray from the source of living water (God), you inevitably find yourself in the drought of the desert. Regarding the second question concerning man trusting in man, should we mistrust one another? Certainly not, because God wants mankind to become one, and therefore any distrust between men goes against his plan of love.  This is about those who turn away from God and trust, i.e. have faith in man. The key word is trusts/has "faith", a very strong term that indicates relying, leaning absolutely on men, as one does on a rock. Without God all security is fragile and one becomes like a shrub in the desert without water doomed to die. The message is clear: if you turn away from God you become spiritually dry and unstable, like a bush in the desert, whereas if you trust, have faith, your life will be like a tree that remains green because it has its roots in water.  It is easy to understand the importance of water for a people walking in the desert, and Jeremiah speaks from experience having before his eyes the road from Jerusalem to Jericho in a desert that is completely dry for much of the year. It only renews and flourishes with the spring rains, and so, drawing on examples and images from the daily lives of his listeners, the prophet offers wise advice on the spiritual life. Faith, then, is the foundation: trusting in God is like rooting oneself in a secure rock (Mt 7:24-25). Making life dependent only on human realities such as power, success, money, relationships, leads to becoming fragile. Moreover, placing one's faith in God does not spare you from difficulties and problems, but gives you the strength to overcome every obstacle. And so every day the believer is called upon to choose: to rely only on himself and live in fear, or to root his life in God and face the storms of existence without losing heart.

One note: Jeremiah is probably denouncing the two fatal errors/sins of kings, religious leaders and the entire people: idolatry and covenants. With regard to idolatry, many have introduced into Israel various idolatrous cults and offered sacrifices to idols, and Jeremiah stigmatises this: "My people have forgotten me in order to burn offerings to those who are nothing." ( 18,15). As for alliances, the prophet criticises the policy of the kings who, instead of counting on God's protection, multiplied diplomatic manoeuvres, allying themselves from time to time with each of the powers of the Middle East, gaining only war and misfortune. Such was the case with Sedecia who, relying on diplomatic manoeuvres and his military might, went bankrupt with massacres, humiliation for himself and the people (Gr 39:1-10).

*Responsorial Psalm (1) 

This psalm, the first one, very short where every detail is significant, constitutes the interpretative key of the whole Psalter and was chosen to introduce the prayer of Israel. It opens with this word: Blessed!  "Blessed is the man who does not enter into the council of the wicked, does not remain in the way of sinners, and is not in the company of the arrogant". The word 'blessed' in the Bible comes from the Hebrew 'ashré', which expresses a state of happiness and deep contentment, a condition of blessing and inner peace that God grants to those who live according to his will. This concept is similar to 'shalom', which indicates deep and complete peace. One who avoids negative influences and finds joy in the law of the Lord, meditating on it constantly, is compared to a tree planted along streams of water, which produces fruit at the right time and whose leaves do not wither. The psalmist understood that God wants our happiness, and this is the most important thing he wanted to tell us from the beginning. To understand the meaning of the word blessed in the Bible, we have to think of the felicitations exchanged on festive occasions wishing joy and prosperity. The expression 'blessed' etymologically means to recognise him as happy and to rejoice with him; it is first and foremost a statement (you are happy), but it is also a wish, an encouragement to grow in happiness every day. It is like saying: you are on the right path, continue to be happy. The biblical term 'blessed' ultimately expresses a double dimension: ascertainment and encouragement. For this reason, many scholars, such as André Chouraqui, translate blessed as 'on the way', an image that invites us to consider human history as a long journey, during which people are continually called upon to choose the road that leads to true happiness. 

A few notes to better enter the Word:

1. In the few verses of the psalm, we find a particular insistence on the word way: "way of sinners...way of the righteous...way of the wicked" and the theme of the two ways emerges: the right way and the wrong way, good and evil. The image is clear: our life is like a crossroads, where we have to decide which direction to take. If we take the right path, each step will bring us closer to the goal; if we choose the wrong direction, each step will take us further and further away from the goal.  The whole of biblical Revelation is meant to show humanity the path to happiness that God desires for us, and for this reason it offers many signs such as the expressions blessed/unhappy or happy/unhappy that are indicators of the path. When Jeremiah in the First Reading says "Cursed is the man who trusts in man... or Isaiah proclaims "Woe to those who enact iniquitous laws" (10:1), they are not judging or condemning people definitively, but are sounding an alarm, like someone shouting to warn a passer-by of the danger of a ravine. On the contrary, expressions such as 'Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord' (Jer 17:7) or 'Blessed is the man who does not enter into the council of sinners' (Ps 1) are an encouragement: you are on the right path!

2. The theme of the two ways reminds us that we are free and the desire for happiness is inscribed in every man's heart, but we often go in the wrong direction and God's law is nothing but a guide for our freedom, a help to choose the right way. Israel knows that the Torah is a gift from God, a sign of his desire for our happiness, and therefore "his law meditates day and night".

3. When the psalm speaks of the righteous and the wicked, it refers to behaviour, not to people because there are no perfectly righteous or completely wicked men and in truth both tendencies coexist within us. Every effort to listen to the Word of God is a step on the path to true goodness. That is why the psalm says: "Blessed is the man who finds his joy in the law of the Lord".  Finally, we understand that the very literary construction of the psalm emphasises the importance of the right choice: in fact, the psalm is not symmetrical and contrasts two attitudes, that of the righteous and that of sinners, but devotes most of its time to describing the happiness of the righteous to tell us that what deserves attention is the good, not the evil. This psalm is therefore an invitation to consciously choose the path of faithfulness to God, and it is no coincidence that the psalter begins with this very word: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord!  

* Second Reading from the First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians (15:12 - 20)

We understand better what St Paul wants to tell us if we think of the funeral of a Christian whose ritual includes three 'signs' of high symbolic value. Firstly, the Paschal Candle beside the coffin burns throughout the celebration as a reminder of the presence of the risen Christ alive among us. In the farewell rite following the Mass, the celebrant and, according to some customs, also the faithful sprinkle the body of the deceased with blessed water to commemorate Baptism. In addition, the celebrant incenses the coffin and this for the Christians of the first centuries was a very daring gesture because in the Roman Empire incense was burnt in front of the statues of the gods and it seemed out of place to incense a lifeless human body reduced to nothing. But this gesture is very eloquent because a Christian, from his Baptism, is a temple of the Holy Spirit as St Paul reminds us, and by forgetting this, one ends up losing the sign and value of the resurrection of bodies. The Christians of Corinth, and perhaps quite a few today, even if they believe in the resurrection of Christ, struggle to draw the consequence that for Paul is self-evident: if Christ is risen, we too shall rise. And to explain this truth of faith to us, he proceeds in two stages. First he reaffirms that Jesus is truly risen and then he draws the consequences. Since Christ's resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith, Paul affirms that "unless Christ is risen, vain is your faith".  Indeed, if one does not believe in Christ's resurrection, the edifice of Christian faith collapses: a risk that every community runs. Let us ask ourselves: do all Catholics believe in Christ's resurrection and our resurrection? 

From this premise, St Paul draws the following argument: since Christ is risen and many have seen him alive and can bear witness to him, he is indeed the Saviour of the world and all that he said and promised is true. Through baptism we have become a temple of the Spirit and this means that the Spirit lives in us, but if the Spirit of love is the opposite of sin, sin being a lack of love for God and others, the Holy Spirit frees us from sin and we are, like Christ, inhabited by the Spirit of God, so we shall rise like him. What has been the temple of the Spirit can be transformed, but cannot be destroyed. Biological death destroys our body, but Jesus will resurrect it. 

Notes to better understand the text

1.The apostle adds "Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died". In the Greek text the term used means firstfruits in the sense of the beginning of a long series. In the Old Testament, the firstfruits were the first fruits of the earth that marked the beginning of the harvest. To say that Jesus is risen as the "firstfruits of those who died" is to affirm that he is the elder brother of mankind, the first born, as Paul says elsewhere: "He is the head of the body... He is the beginning, the firstborn of those who rise from the dead, so that he may have the preeminence over all things..." (Col 1:18).

2. Ultimately, we must always return to God's merciful plan, which is to reunite all mankind in Jesus Christ as we read in the Epistle to the Ephesians (cf. Eph 1:9-10). And God certainly did not plan to reunite the dead, but the living, and Jesus explained in his discussion with the Sadducees: "As for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what has been said to you by God: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Mt 22:31-32).

3. There is one aspect of the mystery of the Incarnation that must not be forgotten: God takes our humanity, our body, seriously because the Word became flesh, becoming in every way similar to men, so similar that his destiny became ours: if he rose, we too shall rise. Christ's resurrection is therefore not only the happy epilogue of his personal story but the dawn of humanity's victory over death. Death is no longer a wall, but a door - and we enter it behind him. Hence the irreconcilability of the Christian faith with any idea of reincarnation. The dignity of the human being goes so far: even if our body is sometimes fragile and marked by suffering, God never treats it as something to be thrown away and replaced; our person is a whole. It may happen that we despise ourselves, but in God's eyes, we are each unique and irreplaceable. Our whole being is called to live forever beside Him.

*From the Gospel according to Luke ( 6, 17......26)

In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah exhorted us not to rely on ourselves and material goods, but to rest our lives on God. The Gospel of the Beatitudes goes much further by stating: Blessed are you poor who put your trust in God, for he will fill you with his riches. But who are the poor according to the gospel? The term poor in the Old Testament has no connection with the bank account because in the biblical sense (anawim) poor are those who have neither a haughty heart nor a haughty look, called 'the backward-looking': they are the little ones, the humble, who, never satiated and complacent, feel that they lack something and for this very reason God can fill them. The prophets alternate in their preaching the stern and threatening tone when the people go astray and pursue wrong values, with the encouraging and consoling one when they go through moments of suffering and despair. Jesus tries to educate the disciples and the crowd by taking up the double language of the prophet in the first reading. Jeremiah says: you who put your trust in material riches, in your social position, you who are well regarded, soon they will no longer envy you, and for this you are not on the right path. If you were, you would not be so rich and so well regarded. A true prophet exposes himself to the risk of not being liked, and Jesus knows this well. A true prophet has neither the time nor the worry to accumulate money or look after his image. These four Beatitudes perfectly capture Jesus who is so poor that he had no stone on which to lay his head and died in total abandonment; he is the one who mourned the death of his friend Lazarus and knew anguish in the Garden of Olives, he mourned the fate of Jerusalem; he was hungry and thirsty in the desert and dramatically on the cross; he is the one who was despised, slandered, persecuted and finally eliminated in the name of the principles of the law and therefore of what was considered the true religion. In these Beatitudes, the promise of the Resurrection looms large and a sense of gratitude to God emerges because Jesus wants us to understand with what loving gaze the Father surrounds us, knowing that victory is already certain. He thus reveals to us God's gaze, his mercy: and we know that 'mercy' etymologically means bowels quivering with compassion. Ultimately, this is the message: man's gaze is quite different from God's; human admiration often runs the risk of mistaking the object of its enthusiasm and is directed towards the rich, the satiated, the privileged in life. God's gaze is quite different: "A poor man cries out, the Lord hears him," says the Psalm, and "A sorrowful and humiliated heart, you, O God, do not despise" (Ps 50/51). Isaiah even goes so far as to say: 'In the suffering that crushes his servant, God loves him with a love of predilection' (Isaiah 53:10). The poor, the persecuted, those who hunger and weep, God bows down to them with a predilection: not because of their merit, but because of their very condition. And so Jesus opens our eyes to another dimension of happiness: true happiness is God's gaze upon us. Certain of this gaze of God, the poor, those who weep, those who hunger, will find the strength to take their destiny into their own hands. 

A note to better enter the Word: 

I recall that André Chouraqui states that the word 'blessed' also means 'on the way'. He cites the example of the people led by Moses who found the strength to face the long march in the desert in the certainty of God's constant presence. Once again, the contrast between beatitudes and curses does not divide humanity into two distinct groups: on the one hand those who deserve words of comfort, on the other those who deserve only reproaches. All of us, depending on the moments in our lives, can find ourselves in one or the other group. And to each of us Christ says: "On the way ... you will be filled, comforted, rejoice and exult".  All this was already present in the language of the Old Testament to describe the happiness that the Messiah would bring. The disciples knew these expressions well and immediately understood what Jesus was announcing to them: You who came out of the crowd to follow me, did not do so to gather honours or riches, but you made the right choice, because you recognised the Messiah in me.

Short Commentary:

*First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (17:5 - 8)

 The prophet Jeremiah begins solemnly: "Thus says the Lord" to warn us that what we are about to hear is important and serious because it is the "Lord" - that is, the very God of the Sinai Covenant - who says: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man". Here, however, two questions arise: can God curse man? And why and in what sense is trusting a man wrong? There is no doubt about it: God cannot curse us, and the Hebrew expression often appears in the Bible and its meaning is not to be understood as a direct action of God cursing, but rather as a declaration of the state of ruin or disgrace into which those who turn away from Him fall. It is therefore a prophetic warning and 'cursed is the man who trusts in man' does not indicate an active action of God, but a warning of this kind: if you choose to trust only in men and not in God, you put yourself in a situation of insecurity and failure. So when the prophets use 'curse', they are saying: 'Beware, this road leads to your destruction'. It is not God who issues a curse as an arbitrary punishment, but it is a spiritual law: when you stray from the source of living water (God), you inevitably find yourself in a desert drought. Regarding the second question concerning man trusting in man, should we mistrust one another? Certainly not, because God wants mankind to become one, and therefore any distrust between men goes against his plan of love.  Here it is a question of those who turn away from God and trust, that is, put all their trust in man, leaning absolutely on men. Without God all security is fragile and one becomes like a shrub in the desert without water doomed to die. The message is clear: if you turn away from God you become spiritually dry and unstable, like a bush in the desert, while if you trust, have faith, your life will be like a tree that remains green because it has its roots in water. Faith therefore is the foundation: trusting in God is like being rooted in a secure rock (Mt 7:24-25). Making life dependent only on human realities such as power, success, money, relationships, leads to becoming fragile. Moreover, placing one's faith in God does not spare you from difficulties and problems, but gives you the strength to overcome every obstacle. And so every day The believer is called to choose: to rely only on himself and live in fear, or to root his life in God and face the storms of existence without losing heart.

*Responsorial Psalm (1) 

This psalm, the first one, very short where every detail is significant, constitutes the interpretative key of the whole Psalter and was chosen to introduce the prayer of Israel. It opens with this word: Blessed!  "Blessed is the man who does not enter into the council of the wicked, does not remain in the way of sinners, and is not in the company of the arrogant". The term 'blessed' in the Bible expresses a state of happiness and deep contentment, a condition of blessing and inner peace that God grants to those who live according to his will. This concept is similar to 'shalom', which indicates deep and complete peace. One who avoids negative influences and finds joy in the law of the Lord, meditating on it constantly, is compared to a tree planted along streams of water, which produces fruit at the right time and whose leaves do not wither. The psalmist understood that God wants our happiness, and this is the most important thing he wanted to tell us from the beginning. To understand the meaning of the word blessed in the Bible, we have to think of the felicitations exchanged on festive occasions wishing joy and prosperity. The expression 'blessed' etymologically means to recognise him as happy and to rejoice with him; it is first and foremost a statement (you are happy), but it is also a wish, an encouragement to grow in happiness every day. It is like saying: you are on the right path, continue to be happy. The biblical term 'blessed' ultimately expresses a twofold dimension: ascertainment and encouragement.

* Second Reading from the First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians (15:12 - 20)

We understand better what St Paul wants to tell us if we think of the funeral of a Christian whose ritual includes three 'signs' of high symbolic value. Firstly, the Paschal Candle beside the coffin burns throughout the celebration as a reminder of the presence of the risen Christ alive among us. In the farewell rite following the Mass, the celebrant and, according to some customs, also the faithful sprinkle the body of the deceased with blessed water to commemorate Baptism. In addition, the celebrant incenses the coffin and this for the Christians of the first centuries was a very daring gesture because in the Roman Empire incense was burnt in front of the statues of the gods and it seemed out of place to incense a lifeless human body reduced to nothing. But this gesture is very eloquent because a Christian, from his Baptism, is a temple of the Holy Spirit, as St Paul reminds us, and by forgetting this, one ends up losing the sign and value of the resurrection of bodies. The Christians of Corinth, and perhaps quite a few today, even if they believe in the resurrection of Christ, struggle to draw the consequence that for Paul is self-evident: if Christ is risen, we too shall rise. And to explain this truth of faith to us, he proceeds in two stages. First he reaffirms that Jesus is truly risen and then he draws the consequences. Since Christ's resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith.  In truth, if one does not believe in the resurrection of Christ, the edifice of the Christian faith collapses: a risk that every community runs. Let us ask ourselves: do all Catholics believe in Christ's resurrection and our resurrection?  From this premise, St Paul draws the conclusion that, if through baptism we are, like Christ, indwelt by the Spirit of God, we will rise like him. Biological death destroys our body, but Jesus will resurrect it. 

*From the Gospel according to Luke ( 6, 17......26)

 In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah exhorted us not to trust in ourselves and material goods, but to rest our lives on God. The Gospel of the Beatitudes goes much further by stating: Blessed are you poor who put your trust in God, for he will fill you with his riches. But who are the poor according to the gospel? The term poor in the Old Testament has no connection with the bank account because in the biblical sense (anawim) poor are those who have neither a haughty heart nor a haughty look, called 'the backward-looking': they are the little ones, the humble, who, never satiated and complacent, feel that they lack something and for this very reason God can fill them. The prophets alternate in their preaching the stern and threatening tone when the people go astray and pursue wrong values, with the encouraging and consoling one when they go through moments of suffering and despair. These four Beatitudes perfectly portray Jesus who is so poor that he had no stone on which to lay his head and died in total abandonment; he is the one who mourned the death of his friend Lazarus and knew anguish in the Garden of Olives, he mourned the fate of Jerusalem; he was hungry and thirsty in the desert and dramatically on the cross; he is the one who was despised, slandered, persecuted and finally eliminated in the name of the principles of the law and therefore of what was considered the true religion. In these Beatitudes, the promise of the Resurrection looms large and a sense of gratitude to God emerges because Jesus wants us to understand with what loving gaze the Father surrounds us, knowing that victory is already certain. He thus reveals to us God's gaze, his mercy. Man's gaze is quite different from God's; human admiration often runs the risk of mistaking the object of its enthusiasm and is directed towards the rich, the satiated, the privileged in life. God's gaze is quite different: 'A poor man cries out, the Lord hears him,' says the Psalm, and 'A sorrowful and humiliated heart, you, O God, do not despise' (Ps 50/51). And so Jesus opens our eyes to another dimension of happiness: true happiness is God's gaze upon us. Certain of this gaze of God, the poor, those who weep, those who hunger, will find the strength to take their destiny into their own hands.

Bad reputation is common among Prophets

(Mk 8:34-9,1)

The Cross is normal among Prophets, who certainly do not have a great response from crowds, in building their own limpid ‘city’.

It never remains at the size of easy idols. But this is the paradoxical form of «communion» that mysteriously attracts the human.

Conviviality that draws hearts together, despite the clashes for ambition or the game of opportunisms do not fade around.

Even today, the reversals chaos doesn’t seem to subside, while crises and mingling appear, even in the positive intertweaving of cultural paradigms.

What is to be done?

To «lift» (v.34 Greek text) the horizontal arm of the scafford and load it on one's shoulders meant losing one's reputation.

It’s a capital problem, inseparable from a motivated and responsible attitude.

Indeed, if a disciple aspired to glory, cherished his own honour, didn’t accept solitude... he could not make himself an authentic witness of Christ.

He would be a piece of prolonged worldliness.

Instead, the Master’s fate also involves that of the disciples.

It’s valid all times, and for us: the gift to the end doesn’t come on earth by passing through fame, success, consideration; being constantly accompanied, approved and supported.

Simon was waiting not for a problematic, edgy outcome, but for easy consensus: a release, as between friends patting each other on the back.

He dreamed of an acclaimed discipleship, hence a future of recognitions - and he was disoriented.

Not understanding the project, Peter [«took Him with»] grabs Jesus as if he were his hostage.

And «he began to exorcise Him» (v.32 Greek text) so that the Master himself would finally put his head on straight and get behind him.

Here the historical basis of this "gesture" of the boss of the apostles transpires - namely the long-standing attempt by the first Jerusalem community to compromise with the priestly and political power of the time.

Well, this isn’t «saving life» (v.35): in the biblical sense, achieving human fullness and resemblance to the divine condition.

The subsequent cheap mysticism, influenced by cerebral philosophies, on this expression has bracketed the adventure of Faith and invented a sharp contrast between bodily and spiritual life.

Trivial conviction, which has as it were vivisected unsuspecting people themselves, sometimes driven to masochism.

But here Jesus does not speak of artificial punishments to be borne, nor did he ever impose any mortification. Least of all capable of producing some ‘salvation of the soul’ detached from reality.

«Lifting up positively the Cross»: so that different energies take over, other relationships, unpredictable situations, that make us shift our gaze and activities.

Not with a view to some just remuneration, but for the irreducible core of every believer (or non-believer) and for any matter.

Hence the need not to alienate oneself from the Gospels, for self-completion, for a living testimony, and the solution of problems - crossed ‘from within'.

In short, we can announce Jesus' proposal, criteria, and Presence itself... in facts and in the integrity of life - not who knows when after death (Mk 8:38-9:1).

Different Definitiveness.

[Friday 6th wk. in O.T.  February 21, 2025]

(Mk 8:27-9:1)

The affluent life and not

True God, nature, and authentic man

(Mk 8:27-33)

Jesus guides his intimates away from the territory of power ideology and the sacred centre of the official religious institution.

The environment of the land of Judah was all conditioned, now devoid of life-wave, already normalised in its constituent lines; it had become a sort of fortress, refractory to any surprise.

In comparison, towards the north, the land of Caesarea Philippi was less artificial, more natural and almost sublime; enchanting, famous for fertility and lush pastures - an area famous for the fecundity of flocks and herds.

That sort of earthly paradise at the source of the Jordan was so humanly attractive that Alexander the Great considered it to be the home of the god Pan and the Nymphs.

The disciples too were fascinated by the landscape and the affluent life of the region's inhabitants; not to mention the magnificence of the palaces.

But here an almost unpleasant question burst into the group.

Christ asks the apostles - basically - what the people expected of Him. And the reminder of the context alludes to the comforts that pagan religion offered.

Moved by curiosity and eager for temporal fulfilment, the crowd of astonished people around the Son of God created a great noise, only apparent.

Now there is a change: the atmosphere changes, opposition increases and questions accumulate; the crowd thins out and the Master finds himself increasingly alone.

While the gods were showing that they knew how to fill their devotees with goods - and a sumptuous court life that beguiled everyone - what was the Lord offering?

In short, the apostles continued to be influenced by the propaganda of the political and religious government, which ensured prosperity.

Jesus 'instructed' them, so that they could overcome the blindness and crisis produced by his Cross, a commitment required from the perspective of self-giving.

[The Son of God is not just a continuer of the Baptist's limpid attitude, never inclined to compromise with the courts and opulence; nor one of the many restorers of the law of Moses... with the zeal of Elijah].

On some fundamental issues, in the early Christian communities there were lively distances with paganism, but there were also particular contrasts with the world of the synagogues.

Frictions of no small importance were those that arose between Jews converted to the Lord and traditionally observant Semites.

Indeed, the sacred books of late Judaism spoke of great figures who had left their mark on the history of Israel, and were to reappear to usher in the Messianic times.

But in all there was a lack of understanding. And difficulty in being able to embrace the new proposal, which seemed to guarantee neither glory nor material goals.

Faith does not easily accord with early human impulses: it is bewildering in its obvious views and drives.

Thus in the Gospel passage, the Master contradicts Peter himself, whose opinion remained tied to the conformist and popular idea of "the" (v.29: "that") expected Messiah.

The leader of the apostles must stop showing Christ which way to go "behind" (v.33) him!

Simon can start being a pupil again; stop plotting roads, hijacking God in the name of God!

In fact, all the Twelve - still plagued by ideas deeply rooted in the ancient mentality - were waiting for a ruler ["political Messiah"], king of Israel of the house of David.

Or they were waiting for a high priest ["Messiah of Aaron"] finally faithful to the role and capable of discovering the genuine meaning of the Word.

For some he was to be a great thaumaturge, a doctor; for others a guerrilla leader, or a judge ["Master of Justice"]; a Prophet, of equal calibre to the ancients.

But the Person of Christ is not that of an ordinary forerunner - great or minor, as long as he is recognisable - an established leader.

Hence the "messianic secret" imposed on those who preach him in that equivocal manner (v.30).

The Son of God does not assure us worldly success, absence of conflict, and a comfortable life, nor does he assure us the mere purification of places of worship or the mending of the ancient practice of devotions.

Only guarantees freedom from all ties to power, and Love that regenerates.

Depth also of natural wisdom:

Says the Tao Tê Ching (xxviii): 'He who knows he is male and keeps himself female is the strength of the world'. Master Wang Pi comments: "He who knows he is first in the world must put himself last".

To internalise and live the message:

Who is Jesus and how much does he matter to you?

Lifting the Cross, Son of Man and Church in Integrity of Life

Bad reputation is normal among the Prophets

(Mk 8:34-9:1)

The Cross is normal among the Prophets, who certainly do not have a great response of hymning crowds, in building their own limpid 'city'.It never remains at the size of easy idols. But this is the paradoxical form of 'communion' that mysteriously attracts the human.

Conviviality that draws hearts together, despite the fact that clashes of ambition or the game of opportunism do not subside around it.

Even today, the chaos of reversals does not seem to subside, while crises and mingling appear, even in the positive interweaving of cultural paradigms.

What is to be done?

"Lifting" [v.34 Greek text] the horizontal arm of the gallows and carrying it on one's shoulders meant losing one's reputation.

This is a capital problem, inseparable from a motivated and responsible attitude.

Indeed, if a follower aspired to glory, cherished his own honour, did not accept solitude... he could not make himself an authentic witness to Christ.

He would be a piece of prolonged worldliness.

Instead, the Master's fate also involves that of the disciples.

It is true at all times, and for us: the gift to the end does not come on earth by passing through fame, success, consideration; being constantly accompanied, approved and supported.

Simon (vv. 32-33) was waiting not for a problematic, sharp outcome, but for easy approval: a release, as between friends patting each other on the back.

He was dreaming of an acclaimed following, hence a future of recognition - and he was bewildered.

But the spirit of giving that Jesus asks of him comes from welcoming, not conquering.

Resigned empathy, starting from one's opposite sides: it does not exist without an intimate alliance.

Of course, the world of tables around unleashes the belligerent aspect, rather than the harmonious, integrated repudiation of the instincts of affirmation: to command, to dominate, to subjugate.

But in the typical language of those who seriously love, Christ speaks clearly - so that his Mystery is also realised in us.

Not to accommodate us in social opinion, but to make every shaky and insecure person a complete being, and to make us all blessed and saviours, with Him.

Peter does not understand the figure of the "Son of Man" (v.38), the main designation used by the evangelists and a crucial theme for understanding the Lord.

He still comes to make present the inherent divine, and its generative energies.

"Son of Man" stands for the eminent goal of the Father: to humanise us and improve existence.

It is the sense of a holiness that is possible and transmissible, not erratic or already formulated, nor tied to concatenations in the regime of externality.

While common religion often convinces of inadequacy and blocks all development, God in His own is direct communication, a drive for life, for a humanising totality.

An innate quintessence that precisely coincides and merges with the supreme condition: in an accentuated capacity to evolve, to affect, to communicate fullness of being.

Not understanding Heaven's plan, Peter ["took him with"] grabs Jesus as if he were his hostage....

And "began to exorcise him" (v.32 Greek text) so that the Master himself would finally put his head on straight, and stand behind him.

Here the historical basis of such a 'gesture' by the leader of the apostles transpires - that is, the long-standing attempt by the first Jerusalem community to compromise with the priestly and political power of the time.

Thus Judeo-Christian Messianism was born. A theology of compromise with the Temple and the Traditions of the fathers, still very much alive in the second-third generation fraternities [those of Mk].

The fact is: the tension that separates us from the heights of official devotion does not stand by chance.

Unfortunately, there exists a deviant and 'enemy' Christology - represented here precisely by Peter ranting (v.33) - which imagines and transmits Christ as a powerful priest and ally of hegemonic power.

This is the reason why today even the pontiff-bishop of Rome does not miss the root of the ecclesial problem: clericalism.

In essence, a soul-destroying ecclesiology can correspond to aberrant Christology.

It presents the community of children under the caricature of a pyramidal institution compromised with those who accentuate exhibitionism, attribute titles, and distribute favours.

All this is not "saving life" (v.35): in the biblical sense, achieving human fullness and resemblance to the divine condition.

Subsequent cheap mysticism, influenced by cerebral philosophies, on this expression has bracketed the adventure of Faith and invented a sharp contrast between bodily and spiritual life.

A banal conviction, which has as it were vivisected unsuspecting people themselves, sometimes directed to masochism.

But here Jesus does not speak of artificial punishments to be meted out, nor did he ever impose any mortification. Neither is it able to produce any 'salvation of the soul' detached from reality - or standing 'in the grace of God' (motionless) intimidated by everlasting punishment.

The Christ story leads in an entirely different direction: the sacred signs do not fit the directives of the established power; they are all liberating in the concrete, not found in an inert and vague detachment.

His reminders in the Church make it clear that the essential characteristics of the disciple are: love that risks and detachment from reputation

as well as lack of attachment to some successful, more or less concealed political function or direction.

To follow the Lord is not to prepare oneself for an office [and earn money on it: v.36], but to correspond to the raw Call.

A call that invests each person following, as well as the Son of Man himself, and the people of God.

"Lift up the Cross positively": so that different energies, other relationships, unpredictable situations, which cause us to shift our gaze and activities, may arise.

Not in view of some just retribution, but for the irreducible core of every believer (or non-believer) and of any issue.

Hence the need not to alienate oneself from the Gospels, for the fulfilment of self, a living testimony, and the solution of problems - crossed from 'within'.

In short, we can announce Jesus' proposal, criteria, and Presence itself... in facts and in the integrity of life - not who knows when after death (Mk 8:38-9:1).

Other definitiveness.

To internalise and live the message:

What kind of call do you hear resonating in you?

Starting from the centre

6. How should we concretely configure this path of ascent and purification? How must love be lived, so that its human and divine promise is fully realised? A first important indication can be found in the Song of Songs, one of the books of the Old Testament well known to the mystics. According to the interpretation prevalent today, the poems contained in this book are originally love songs, perhaps intended for an Israelite wedding feast, in which they were to extol conjugal love. In this context, it is very instructive that, throughout the book, we find two different words for 'love'. First there is the word 'dodim' - a plural expressing love that is still insecure, in a situation of indeterminate search. This word is then replaced by the word " ahabà ", which in the Greek translation of the Old Testament is rendered with the similar-sounding term " agape ", which, as we have seen, became the characteristic expression for the biblical conception of love. In opposition to the indeterminate and still searching love, this word expresses the experience of love that now truly becomes a discovery of the other, overcoming the selfish character that was previously clearly dominant. Love now becomes care of the other and for the other. It no longer seeks self, immersion in the intoxication of happiness; instead, it seeks the good of the beloved: it becomes renunciation, it is ready for sacrifice, indeed it seeks it.

It is part of love's development towards higher levels, towards its intimate purifications, that it now seeks definitiveness, and this in a twofold sense: in the sense of exclusivity - 'only this one person' - and in the sense of 'forever'. Love encompasses the totality of existence in all its dimensions, including that of time. It could not be otherwise, because its promise aims at the definitive: love aims at eternity. Yes, love is "ecstasy", but ecstasy not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but ecstasy as a journey, as a permanent exodus from the ego closed within itself towards its liberation in the gift of self, and precisely in this way towards the rediscovery of self, indeed towards the discovery of God: "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, whoever loses it will save it" (Lk 17:33), says Jesus - a statement of his that is found in the Gospels in different variants (cf. Mt 10:39; 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; Jn 12:25). Jesus thereby describes his personal path, which through the cross leads him to resurrection: the path of the grain of wheat that falls into the earth and dies and thus bears much fruit. Starting from the centre of his personal sacrifice and the love that reaches its fulfilment in it, he also describes with these words the essence of love and of human existence in general.

[Pope Benedict, Deus Caritas est].

From Son of David to Son of Man

The Church is Catholic because Christ embraces all humanity in his mission of salvation. While Jesus' mission in his earthly life was limited to the Jewish people, "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 15:24), it was nevertheless oriented from the beginning to bring the light of the Gospel to all peoples and to bring all nations into the Kingdom of God. Confronted with the faith of the Centurion in Capernaum, Jesus exclaims: "Now I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 8:11). This universalistic perspective emerges, among other things, from the presentation Jesus made of himself not only as "Son of David", but as "son of man" (Mk 10:33), as we also heard in the Gospel passage just proclaimed. The title "Son of Man", in the language of the Jewish apocalyptic literature inspired by the vision of history in the Book of the Prophet Daniel (cf. 7:13-14), recalls the person who comes "with the clouds of heaven" (v. 13) and is an image that heralds an entirely new kingdom, a kingdom supported not by human powers, but by the true power that comes from God. Jesus uses this rich and complex expression and refers it to Himself to manifest the true character of His messianism, as a mission destined for the whole man and every man, overcoming all ethnic, national and religious particularism. And it is precisely in following Jesus, in allowing oneself to be drawn into his humanity and thus into communion with God, that one enters into this new kingdom, which the Church announces and anticipates, and which overcomes fragmentation and dispersion.

[Pope Benedict, address to the Consistory 24 November 2012].

6. Concretely, what does this path of ascent and purification entail? How might love be experienced so that it can fully realize its human and divine promise? Here we can find a first, important indication in the Song of Songs, an Old Testament book well known to the mystics. According to the interpretation generally held today, the poems contained in this book were originally love-songs, perhaps intended for a Jewish wedding feast and meant to exalt conjugal love. In this context it is highly instructive to note that in the course of the book two different Hebrew words are used to indicate “love”. First there is the word dodim, a plural form suggesting a love that is still insecure, indeterminate and searching. This comes to be replaced by the word ahabà, which the Greek version of the Old Testament translates with the similar-sounding agape, which, as we have seen, becomes the typical expression for the biblical notion of love. By contrast with an indeterminate, “searching” love, this word expresses the experience of a love which involves a real discovery of the other, moving beyond the selfish character that prevailed earlier. Love now becomes concern and care for the other. No longer is it self-seeking, a sinking in the intoxication of happiness; instead it seeks the good of the beloved: it becomes renunciation and it is ready, and even willing, for sacrifice.

It is part of love's growth towards higher levels and inward purification that it now seeks to become definitive, and it does so in a twofold sense: both in the sense of exclusivity (this particular person alone) and in the sense of being “for ever”. Love embraces the whole of existence in each of its dimensions, including the dimension of time. It could hardly be otherwise, since its promise looks towards its definitive goal: love looks to the eternal. Love is indeed “ecstasy”, not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God: “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Lk 17:33), as Jesus says throughout the Gospels (cf. Mt 10:39; 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; Jn 12:25). In these words, Jesus portrays his own path, which leads through the Cross to the Resurrection: the path of the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, and in this way bears much fruit. Starting from the depths of his own sacrifice and of the love that reaches fulfilment therein, he also portrays in these words the essence of love and indeed of human life itself.

[Pope Benedict, Deus Caritas est]

1. Adoration of the Cross.

In the afternoon we approached the wood on which Christ, Saviour of the world, hung: Ecce lignum Crucis. There was a profound silence in the great Basilica of St. Peter's; a strong recollection reigned in the hearts of those present.

The Cross was being worshipped!

2. We then came to the Colosseum to retrace the Way of the Cross. Christ said: "Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Mt 10:38). He said this not only for his disciples then, but also for those who would come later. He repeats it to us his disciples today. We have come to the Colosseum, which speaks to us of ancient Rome. Then the Cross entered into the life and death of the first Christians, who were called to bear witness to Christ with the sacrifice of their existence. The Cross filled their death with the death of Christ; it filled their death with the inexpressible Life: his Life. "Whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's will save it" (Mk 8:35). They immolated life, and saved it in Christ. Hail Crux!

3. The adoration of the Cross endures throughout the centuries, in the succession of generations. Even our century - this 20th century - has known the bitter experience of religious persecution in the modern 'coliseums' of Europe and the world, in East and West. Centuries later, here are still people who, like the Christians in ancient pagan Rome, knew how to adore the Cross with the sacrifice of their lives, knew how to embrace the Cross with the supreme witness of martyrdom. Christians who went to their deaths shouting: Ave Crux! Their death, thanks to the Cross of Christ, becomes a seed of new life.

Ecce lignum Crucis.

4. Dear brothers and sisters, we have come to the Colosseum this evening to participate in the Way of the Cross. The Cross is also the way. Christ said: "If anyone wishes to come after me... let him take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk 9:23). The Cross therefore is the way, the way of daily life. It is, in a way, the companion of this life. In how many forms does the experience of taking up the "cross each day" also present itself for each one of us! It is called by different ways and names. Often, indeed, man trembles, he does not want to pronounce this name: "the cross". He looks for other definitions, other appellations. Yet this name is full of content and meaning. Cross is the saving word, by which the Son of God reveals to every man the total truth about himself and his own vocation (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22). It reveals this truth to every man and woman, and particularly to those in suffering.

To the suffering person the word "cross" reveals that he or she is not alone, but walks with the One who first accepted the cross and, through the cross, redeemed the world.

5. Ecce lignum Crucis... Here is the wood of the Cross, on which Christ, Saviour of the world, hung. Venite adoremus.

Today, Good Friday, the Church asks everyone to accept the salvific message of the Cross of Christ. A message that is the power of God and the wisdom of God - as St Paul proclaims. Message that encloses the history of man on earth, of each and of all: it encloses the hope of Life and Immortality.

Christ reiterates to every creature, to each one of us: "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself" (Jn 12:32).

Ave Crux!
Ave verum Corpus natum de Maria Virgine,
vere passum,
immolatum in Cruce pro homine...
Esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine.
Amen!

[Pope John Paul II, Way of the Cross at the Colosseum 9 April 1993]

Today’s Gospel presents us Jesus who, on his way towards Caesarea Philippi, asks the disciples: “Who do men say that I am?” (Mk 8:27). They respond with what the people are saying: some believe he is John the Baptist reborn, others Elijah or one of the great Prophets. The people appreciated Jesus, they considered him “God’s emissary”, but still were unable to recognize him as the foretold Messiah, awaited by all. Jesus looks at the Apostles and asks again: “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 29). This is the most important question, which Jesus directly addresses to those who have followed him, to verify their faith. Peter, in the name of all, exclaims candidly: “You are the Christ” (v. 29). Jesus is struck by Peter’s faith, and recognizes that it is the fruit of grace, a special grace of God the Father. Then he openly reveals to the disciples what awaits him in Jerusalem, which is that “the Son of man must suffer many things... be killed, and after three days rise again” (v. 31).

On hearing this, Peter, who had just professed his faith in Jesus as Messiah, is shocked. He takes the Master aside and rebukes him. And how does Jesus react? He in turn rebukes Peter, with very harsh words: “Get behind me, Satan!” — he calls him Satan! — “You think not as God does, but as men do” (cf. v. 33). Jesus sees in Peter, as in the other disciples — and in each one of us! — that temptation by the Evil One opposes the grace of the Father, that he wants to deter us from the will of God. Announcing that he must suffer, be put to death in order to then rise, Jesus wants his followers to understand that he is a humble Messiah, a servant. He is the Servant obedient to the word and the will of the Father, until the complete sacrifice of his own life. For this reason, turning toward the whole crowd there, He declares that one who wishes to become his disciple must accept being a servant, as He has made himself a servant, and cautions: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (v. 34).

To undertake the discipleship of Jesus means to take up your cross — we all have one — to accompany him on his path, an uncomfortable path that is not of success or of fleeting glory, but one which takes us to true freedom, to that which frees us from selfishness and sin. It is necessary to clearly reject that worldly mentality which places one’s “I” and one’s own interests at the centre of existence. That is not what Jesus wants from us! Instead Jesus invites us to lose our life for him and for the Gospel, to receive it renewed, fulfilled and authentic. We are certain, thanks to Jesus, that this path leads us to the resurrection, to the full and definitive life with God. Choosing to follow him, our Master and Lord who made himself the Servant of all, one to walk behind and to listen attentively to his Word — remember to read a passage from the Gospel every day — and in the Sacraments. 

There are young people here in the Square, young men and women. I want to ask you: do you feel the desire to follow Jesus more closely? Think. Pray, and allow the Lord to speak to you.

May the Virgin Mary, who followed Jesus to Calvary, help us to always purify our faith of false images of God, in order to adhere fully to Christ and his Gospel.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 13 September 2015].

In this [...] Gospel resound some of Jesus’ most incisive words: “Whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it” (Lk 9:24).

This is a synthesis of Christ’s message, and it is expressed very effectively in a paradox, which shows us his way of speaking, almost lets us hear his voice.... But what does it mean “to lose one’s life for the sake of Jesus”? This can happen in two ways: explicitly by confessing the faith, or implicitly by defending the truth. Martyrs are the greatest example of losing one’s life for Christ. In 2,000 years, a vast host of men and women have sacrificed their lives to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and his Gospel. And today, in many parts of the world, there are many, many — more than in the first centuries — so many martyrs, who give up their lives for Christ, who are brought to death because they do not deny Jesus Christ. This is our Church. Today we have more martyrs than in the first centuries! However, there is also daily martyrdom, which may not entail death but is still a “loss of life” for Christ, by doing one’s duty with love, according to the logic of Jesus, the logic of gift, of sacrifice. Let us think: how many dads and moms every day put their faith into practice by offering up their own lives in a concrete way for the good of the family! Think about this! How many priests, brothers and sisters carry out their service generously for the Kingdom of God! How many young people renounce their own interests in order to dedicate themselves to children, the disabled, the elderly.... They are martyrs too! Daily martyrs, martyrs of everyday life!

And then there are many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, who “lose their lives” for truth. And Christ said “I am the truth”, therefore whoever serves the truth serves Christ. One of those who gave his life for the truth is John the Baptist: tomorrow, 24 June, is his great feast, the Solemnity of his birth. John was chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus, and he revealed him to the people of Israel as the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29). John consecrated himself entirely to God and to his envoy, Jesus. But, in the end, what happened? He died for the sake of the truth, when he denounced the adultery of King Herod and Herodias. How many people pay dearly for their commitment to truth! Upright people who are not afraid to go against the current! How many just men prefer to go against the current, so as not to deny the voice of conscience, the voice of truth! And we, we must not be afraid! Among you are many young people. To you young people I say: Do not be afraid to go against the current, when they want to rob us of hope, when they propose rotten values, values like food gone bad — and when food has gone bad, it harms us; these values harm us. We must go against the current! And you young people, are the first: Go against the tide and have the daring to move precisely against the current. Forward, be brave and go against the tide! And be proud of doing so.

Dear friends, let us welcome Jesus’s words with joy. They are a rule of life proposed to everyone. And may St John the Baptist help us put that rule into practice. On this path, as always, our Mother, Mary Most Holy, precedes us: she lost her life for Jesus, at the Cross, and received it in fullness, with all the light and the beauty of the Resurrection. May Mary help us to make ever more our own the logic of the Gospel.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 23 June 2013]

The true God, nature, and authentic man

(Mk 8:27-33)

Jesus guides his intimates away from the territory of the ideology of power and the sacred centre of the official religious institution, so that they detach themselves from their own stronghold.

The territory of Caesarea Philippi was enchanting, renowned for fertility and lush pastures - an area famous for the fecundity of flocks and herds.

That sort of earthly paradise at the source of the Jordan was so humanly attractive that Alexander the Great considered it to be the home of the god Pan and the Nymphs.

Even the disciples were fascinated by the landscape and the affluent life of the inhabitants of the region; not to mention the magnificence of the palaces.

Christ asks the apostles - practically speaking - what people expected of Him. And the reminder of the context alludes to the comforts that pagan religion offered.

Moved by curiosity and eager for material fulfilment, the crowd of amazed people around the Son of God was creating a great noise, only apparent.

Now there is a turning point: the atmosphere changes, opposition increases and questions pile up; the crowd thins out and the Master finds himself increasingly alone.

While the gods were showing that they knew how to shower their worshippers with goods - and a sumptuous court life that beguiled all - what did the Lord offer?

In short, the apostles were continuing to be influenced by the propaganda of the political and religious government, which ensured prosperity.

Thus Jesus "instructed" them, so that they could overcome the blindness and crisis produced by his Cross, by the commitment required in view of the gift of self.

The Son of God is not only a continuer of the Baptist's clear-headed attitude, never inclined to compromise with the courts and opulence; nor is He one of the many restorers of the law of Moses... with the zeal of Elijah.

On this issue, in the first Christian communities there were lively distances with paganism, but there were also particular contrasts with the world of the synagogues.

Frictions of no small importance were those that arose between Jews converted to the Lord and traditionally observant Semites.

Indeed, the sacred books spoke of great figures who had left their mark on the Israel history, and were to reappear to usher in the messianic times.

There was a lack of understanding in everyone. And difficulty in being able to embrace the new proposal, which seemed to guarantee neither glory nor material goals.

Faith does not easily accord with early human impulses: it is disconcerting for the obvious views and drives.

So in the Gospel passage the Master contradicts Peter himself, whose opinion remained tied to the conformist and popular idea of «the» [v.29: «that»] expected Messiah.

The leader of the apostles must stop showing Christ which way to go «behind» (v.33) him!

Simon can go back to being a pupil; and has to stop drawing ways, by kidnapping God in the name of God…

Hence the ‘messianic secret’ imposed on those who preach it in that equivocal way (v.30).

The «Son of man» (v.31) does not assure us worldly success, nor absence of conflict. Only guarantees freedom from all ties to power, and regenerating Love.

[Thursday 6th wk. in O.T.  February 20, 2025]

He first asked them: "Who do men say that the Son of man is?". They answered him saying that some of the people said John the Baptist restored to life, others Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. The Lord then directly questioned the Twelve: "But who do you say that I am?". Peter spoke enthusiastically and authoritatively on behalf of them all: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". This solemn profession of faith the Church continues to repeat since then. Today too, we long to proclaim with an innermost conviction: "Yes, Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God!". Let us do so in the awareness that Christ is the true "treasure" for whom it is worth sacrificing everything; he is the friend who never abandons us for he knows the most intimate expectations of our hearts. Jesus is the "Son of the living God", the promised Messiah who came down to earth to offer humanity salvation and to satisfy the thirst for life and love that dwells in every human being. What an advantage humanity would have in welcoming this proclamation which brings with it joy and peace!

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 24 August 2008]

2. Jesus had already asked the group of the 12 Apostles to profess their faith in his person. At Caesarea Philippi, after questioning his disciples about the people's opinion of his identity, he asks: "But who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15). The reply comes from Simon Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16).

Jesus immediately confirms the value of this profession of faith, stressing that it stems not only from human thought idea but from heavenly inspiration: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 16:17). These statements, in strongly Semitic tones, indicate the total, absolute and supreme revelation: the one that concerns the person of Christ, Son of God.

Peter's profession of faith will remain the definitive expression of Christ's identity. Mark uses this same expression to begin his Gospel (cf. Mk 1:1) and John refers to it at the end of his, saying that he has written his Gospel so that you may believe "that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God", and that in believing you may have life in his name (cf. Jn 20:31).

3. In what does faith consist? The Constitution Dei Verbum explains that by faith, "man freely commits his entire self to God, making 'the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals'" (n. 5). Thus faith is not only the intellect's adherence to the truth revealed, but also a submission of the will and a gift of self to God revealing himself. It is a stance that involves one's entire existence.

The Council also recalls that this faith requires "the grace of God to move [man] and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and 'makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth'" (ibid.). In this way we can see how, on the one hand, faith enables us to welcome the truth contained in Revelation and proposed by the Magisterium of those who, as Pastors of God's People, have received a "sure charism of truth" (Dei Verbum, n. 8). On the other hand, faith also spurs us to true and deep consistency, which must be expressed in all aspects of a life modeled on that of Christ.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 18 March 1998]

Today’s Gospel passage (cf. Mk 8:27-35) turns to the question that permeates the whole Gospel of Mark: who is Jesus? But this time Jesus himself poses it to his disciples, helping them to gradually address the question of his identity. Before asking them, the Twelve, directly, Jesus wants to hear from them what the people think about him, and he is well aware that the disciples are very sensitive to the Teacher’s renown! Therefore, he asks: “Who do men say that I am?” (v. 27). It comes to light that Jesus is considered by the people as a great prophet. But, in reality, he is not interested in the opinions and gossip of the people. He also does not agree that his disciples should answer the questions with pre-packaged formulas, quoting well-known individuals from Sacred Scripture, because a faith that is reduced to formulas is a short-sighted faith.

The Lord wants his disciples of yesterday and today to establish a personal relationship with him, and thus to embrace him at the centre of their life. For this reason he spurs them to face themselves honestly, and he asks: “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 29). Today, Jesus addresses this very direct and confidential question to each of us: “You, who do you say that I am? All of you, who do you say that I am? Who am I for you?”. Each person is called to respond, in his or her heart, allowing each one to be illuminated by the light that the Father gives us in order to know his Son Jesus. And it can also happen to us, as it did to Peter, that we passionately affirm: “You are the Christ”. However, when Jesus tells us clearly what he told the disciples, that is, that his mission is fulfilled not on the wide road to success, but on the arduous path of the suffering, humiliated, rejected and crucified Servant, then it can also happen that we, like Peter, might protest and rebel because this contrasts with our expectations, with worldly expectations. In those moments, we too deserve Jesus’ healthy rebuke: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men” (v. 33).

Brothers and sisters, the profession of faith in Jesus Christ cannot stop at words, but calls to be authenticated by practical choices and gestures, by a life characterized by God’s love; it calls for a great life, a life with an abundance of love for neighbour. Jesus tells us that to follow him, to be his disciples, we must deny ourselves (cf. v. 34), that is, the demands of our own selfish pride, and take up our own cross. Then he gives everyone a fundamental rule. And what is this rule? “For whoever would save his life will lose it” (v. 35). Often in life, for many reasons, we go astray, looking for happiness only in things, or in people whom we treat as things. But we find happiness only when love, true love, encounters us, surprises us, changes us. Love changes everything! And love can also change us, each one of us. The witnesses of Saints proves it.

May the Virgin Mary, who lived her faith by faithfully following her Son Jesus, help us too to walk on his path, generously spending our life for him and for our brothers and sisters.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 16 September 2018]