Reading 1
Zec 12:10-11; 13:1
Thus says the LORD:
I will pour out on the house of David
and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem
a spirit of grace and petition;
and they shall look on him whom they have pierced,
and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,
and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great
as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
On that day there shall be open to the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.
Reading 2
Gal 3:26-29
Brothers and sisters:
Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ,
then you are Abraham’s descendant,
heirs according to the promise.
Gospel
Lk 9:18-24
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist;
others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them
and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all,
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Meditation: Luke 9:18-24
Who do the crowds say that I am? (Luke 9:18)
“The results are in,” the apostles told Jesus. “The most recent poll shows that many see you as John the Baptist. You’re firm on the issues, but you are a real people person. You show love, but you aren’t afraid to confront the status quo. On the other hand, you’re a bit heavy-handed on repentance issues, and some people don’t like that. Another sector of people sees you as the prophet Elijah. They see in you a possible return to the glory days, when our people lived in peace and free from oppression.”
Then Jesus looked at his staff and asked, “What about you?” Peter smiled broadly and said: “You are the Messiah of God.”
If the apostles were to take a similar poll today, the answers would be very different. A percentage would say that Jesus was a great and inspiring man. Others would say: “I am spiritual; I don’t belong to any one religion.” And still others would say that Jesus was a prophet of social justice. And, of course, some would echo Peter and say that he really is the Messiah, the Son of God.
So who is Jesus? This is probably the most important question we could ever answer. Maybe he is a new John the Baptist, teaching us about repentance, or a new Elijah, bringing liberation to the poor and oppressed. Perhaps he is a great prophet, comforting us and walking with us in dark times.
Yes, Jesus is all of these—and he is so much more. He is our Savior. He died for our sins, and he was raised up three days later. He saved us from eternal death. He now reigns in glory and he wants us to share in his glory every day. As today’s reading implies, if we lose ourselves in Jesus, that is, if we surrender to him, we will be able to share his life and share in his glory. We will be just like Peter, smiling because we know who Jesus is.
“Jesus, show me your glory. I want to know you more!”
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Questions for Individual Reflection or Group Discussion
(Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1; Psalm 63:2-6,8-9; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24)
1. In the first reading, God says that he will pour out “a spirit of grace and petition.” What do you think this means? How important is it to ask God for “a spirit of grace and petition” during your times of prayer and even throughout the day? Experiment with doing this and see what happens.
2. The first reading also promises a “fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.” How important is the Sacrament of Reconciliation to you? What can you do to make your reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation more frequent and fruitful?
3. The responsorial psalm speaks of someone who is continually seeking, thirsting for, gazing at, glorifying, blessing, and calling upon the Lord. In what way does (or doesn’t) this describe your relationship with the Lord? How important to you is having a deeper relationship with Christ? What steps can you take to deepen this relationship?
4. The second reading speaks of our unity in Christ. In Christ all our differences disappear. After prayerful consideration about your attitude towards certain people, classes, races, and nationalities are there any that God may be asking you to change? What steps can you take to do so?
5. In the Gospel, Christ tells us “to deny” ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. What do you think this means? What are some areas of your life that you struggle to “deny yourself?” Take some time this week to pray that you, all members of your family, and all members of the parish would experience more deeply God’s unconditional love. Pray also that you would have the grace and strength to overcome weaknesses that keep you from loving God and others in the ways you know God is asking.
6. In the meditation, we hear these words: “So who is Jesus? This is probably the most important question we could ever answer.” How would you answer if Jesus were to ask you, as he did his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”
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