TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
30 AUGUST 2026
Last
Sunday, Jesus gathered his disciples at Caesarea Philippi, at that massive rock
dedicated to the Roman god Pan. He asked
what people were saying about him. He
listened to them and then asked who they thought he was. Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God.” Jesus affirmed that
Peter’s correct answer was a revelation from God and said that he would be the
rock of his Church. The gate to the
netherworld would not be the gate to Hades at the huge rock at Caesarea
Philippi. Simon Peter became the rock to
keep the gates of the netherworld from prevailing against his church.
Today,
Jesus continues to teach his disciples. As
the Christ, the Son of the living God, he now reveals the mission he has
received from his Father. He will not be
a warrior Messiah to drive the Romans away.
Instead, he is the Suffering Servant who will go to Jerusalem to suffer
greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and scribes. He will be killed and on the third day be
raised up. Shocked to his core, Simon
Peter takes Jesus aside to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!” Simon Peter cannot imagine a crucified
Messiah! Jesus turns to Peter and yells,
“Get behind me, Satan!” Peter was
tempting Jesus to turn his back on his Father’s will, just as Satan had done in
the desert at the beginning of his public ministry. He accuses Peter of being an obstacle to
him. In other words, in relying on his
human instincts, the Rock of the Church has become a stumbling block.
Instead of dismissing
Peter, Jesus tells him to get behind him.
He invites him to come after him and learn how to be a faithful
disciple. Coming after Jesus means that
he must deny himself. Jesus needs to be
at the center of his life, teaching him the lesson of sacrificial love. He must carry the cross that comes with
behaving as Jesus Christ, willing to give himself in humble service to
all. Following behind Jesus Christ
involves conducting himself as his Lord does.
He must think and speak words of love.
He will need to imitate the actions of Jesus Christ. He must be willing to forgive others and make
a commitment to performing works of mercy.
Simon Peter will learn all of these lessons. After the Lord’s death and resurrection, the
Holy Spirit will strengthen Peter in his role as the rock of the Church, even
to the point of physically giving himself to be nailed to a cross to share in
the Lord’s rising.
Saint
Augustine became a disciple of Jesus Christ when he was baptized, Confirmed,
and given the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil in Milan. Once he got behind Jesus, he denied himself
and made him the central focus of his life.
He then accepted a number of crosses.
He turned aside from the Manichaean heresy that encouraged him to do
whatever he wanted with his body and embraced the practice of celibacy. It was not easy. He was reported to pray, “Lord, make me
chaste, but not yet!” He faced the death
of his mother, Monica, as they were preparing to get on a boat to return to
Africa. After he was ordained a priest, he reluctantly submitted himself to
become the Bishop of Hippo. He wrote his
famous Confessions to say to the people of Hippo: “With my history, do you
really want me to be your bishop?” He spent
the rest of his life faithfully serving the Church of Hippo and refuting any
number of heresies. Like Jeremiah the
Prophet, he was often tempted to refuse the speak the full truth of the
faith. But the truth became like a fire
burning in his heart. He carried the
cross of making many enemies in becoming one of the most important theologians
of the Catholic Church.
We ask for
his intercession today, as we continue to walk behind Jesus, as we learn how to
deny ourselves, and as we learn to embrace the crosses that come from our
decision to make Jesus Christ the center of our lives.
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