Gospel Reflections [feb19-21]

February 19, Thursday Mark 8:27-33

Christ means the chosen one or the savior and Peter got it right when he said in reply: “You are the Christ.” Unlike the other disciples Peter knew the real identity of Jesus. But up to that point in the gospel his knowledge of the real Jesus was still limited because when Jesus said that He will suffer greatly he didn’t believe.

It is said that: “To follow Christ is always right; but it is never easy.” Jesus was actually foreshadowing the path that Peter has to go thru when He said that He must suffer greatly and be rejected. This is also Jesus’ own foreshadowing for us.

If we really are full blooded followers of Christ we must expect sufferings and rejections also. We will suffer when we stand for what is right, we will be rejected when we push what is moral.


February 20, Friday Mark 8:34-9:1

A short-sighted or materialistic individual would normally look down on these very meaningful words of Jesus: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

But for those who deeply discern; these words are like manna from heaven that will forever nourish their lives until eternity.

There are not so many who discern these words ; may we be one of them...


February 21, Saturday Mark 9:2-13

This coming February 25 (Ash Wednesday) we will start the 40 days Lenten season. These forty days will invite us collectively/individually to self-examination and recollection on the sins that we have committed against God and our fellowmen. And as we walk through these forty days the call of the church is for all of us to repent from our sins and have that inner transfiguration.

Jesus was transfigured for all of us to have a foretaste of what awaits us when we eventually leave our earthy dwellings and that is heaven. But first of all we all need to have our own transfiguration experience within ourselves. So that like the apostles: Peter, James and John we will also be able to see permanently the appearance of the transfigured Jesus.

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