Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today’s gospel, Mark 8:27-35, Peter is in the spotlight. First Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Peter has the most beautiful response as to who he thinks Jesus is. “You are the Messiah.”
Immediately following this Jesus speaks to the disciples about His coming death. And Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. At this, Jesus rebukes Peter openly with the words, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
After this, Jesus goes on to tell what is necessary to be a disciple of His. “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.”
May we deny ourselves today in some fashion, however small.