31st August 2008
They say a week is a long time in politics; it is also a very long time in the life of a disciple of Christ. St Peter again is centre stage, however this week the rock on which Jesus would build his church is sharply referred to as Satan and an obstacle to the path of Jesus as he approached his passion and death. In this gospel passage we glimpse the painful fact that St Peter had still much to learn about who Jesus was and what he came to achieve. I'm sure the early days of Jesus mission were characterised by much happiness and joy as he healed so many, as he preached the Word of God in a new way, as he fed so many people with so very little. Peter like the others naturally liked this appealing aspect of Jesus. However once the words of Jesus refer to his suffering and death Peter changes. He does not want this to happen to Jesus and yet Jesus rebukes him for his concern. On one level you could argue that Peter just wanted to protect Jesus as any of us might have done. But in doing so he deflects Jesus from his destiny as being the suffering servant of the Prophet Isaiah that we heard about in the first reading.
What these gospels are trying to teach us is that discipleship is not always going to be easy, some days anything but easy. The Cross is always looming in the background. There are so many people in pain throughout the world, so many even in our own Community. The Shadow of the Cross covers many of them. It may be the death of a loved one, the fact of addiction, of misunderstanding, of rancour within a family. It may be the loss of faith and meaning which so many seem to struggle with today. It may be extreme loneliness and isolation in an increasingly fractured society. The list could go on and on. However one thing is certain, in the Cross is salvation and redemption, words perhaps we hear too little about today. In other words no suffering or pain is gone through for nothing. In the Cross is eternal life.
One image of the final days of Pope John Paul II will remain with me. One week before he died on that last Good Friday unable to go to the Coliseum as he usually did he sat in his private chapel and caressed so feebly and yet so lovingly the crucifix. He had grasped what St Peter had struggled so hard to accept that discipleship will ask us many difficult questions, and yet if we are faithful to the end we will get the reward we deserve according to our behaviour in this life. Amen.
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Homilies Archive
2009 HOMILIES
25th December 2008
Christmas
21st December 2008
14th December 2008
8th December 2008
Immaculate Conception
7th December 2008
2nd Sunday of Advent
30th November 2008
1st Sunday of Advent
23rd November 2008
Christ the King
16th November 2008
2nd November 2008
All Souls
1st November 2008
All Saints
26th October 2008
12th October 2008
5th October 2008
28th September 2008
21st September 2008
14th September 2008
7th September 2008
31st August 2008
24th August 2008
17th August 2008
15th August 2008
Assumption
10th August 2008
3rd August 2008
20th July 2008
13th July 2008
29th June 2008
22nd June 2008
1st June 2008
23rd March 2008
Easter Sunday
22nd March 2008
Easter Vigil
2nd March 2008
24th February 2008
17th February 2008
10th February 2008
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