By Naresh Namindla csc-
Readings: Is 50: 5-9a; Jam 2: 14-18; Mk 8: 27-35
In today’s gospel reading, we see Peter wholeheartedly recognizing and
accepting Jesus as Christ. Later, Peter failed to understand the foretelling of Jesus about his suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus makes a powerful
statement “if anyone would come up to me let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me.”
Today’s liturgy invites each one of us to deny everything in life to follow him better. To deny everything and follow him as his disciples, we need to grow in faith. As today’s second reading says, “faith without works is useless”. We will fail if we follow Jesus without faith. Faith enables us to build a personal relationship with God. This makes us to stand steady during times of persecution and humiliation because God becomes our strength.
In the first reading, Prophet Isaiah experienced it as he was not frightened of those who mocked him and pulled out his beard. Instead, he humbled himself in the hands of persecutors because of his strong faith in God. He knew that God would not put him to shame or disgrace. Prophet Isaiah faced unpleasant situations in his life but never gave up on God’s will for him. He took up his cross even at the time of humiliation and insult.
We follow Jesus but sometimes persecution and unpleasant circumstances like corona may cause doubt in us about the existence of God. At present, coronavirus is our daily cross, which we have to carry and yet believe in God.
Some were infected with the virus while all of us were affected by it in different ways. And now that the third wave of Covid-19 may be on the way, what is our attitude towards God? Can we still carry the cross of corona and believe and follow him? Is our faith sufficient to understand God’s will? If so, who is Christ for us? Amidst all these questions, queries, and uncertainty, can we still see God as loving, saving and forgiving?