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Jesus poses an important question in today’s gospel. He asks his disciples, “who do you say that I am?” Except for Saint Peter, the disciples do not know how to answer the question. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Saint Peter is able to answer that he is the Christ. However, it is important to note that Jesus is not the Messiah in the traditional sense. He will not lead them to victory over foreign armies or give them great material wealth. Instead, he is a Messiah who will lead them to the cross.
One of the hardest jobs for a follower of Christ is not personal prayer, or going to Mass, or expressing charity to others – rather, it is the ability to accept our crosses and suffering. Peter himself struggles with this when he tries to dissuade Jesus from talking about his pending suffering. The truth is that Jesus is our savior precisely because of the cross. To put it in traditional terms, the cross is our only hope.
One of the ways we can accept the crosses and sufferings in our lives is to think about the suffering of Jesus. Look at the crucifix in your home and think about his great torture and death. As awful as that was, it did not have the last word in the life of Jesus. Three days later, the power of Satan was crushed through the resurrection. The same is true for us. No matter how much suffering we have, no matter how heavy the cross, God will always triumph. The cross of Jesus is proof that, in the end, God always wins.
Let us join our sufferings to the cross of Christ.
Sincerely,
Rev. Miguel González