Daily Gospel Reflection - Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
Bishop Robert Barron
September 23, 2022
Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
Gospel: Lk 9:18-22
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.”
*United States Conference of Catholic
Bishop Robert Barron
Friends, the Gospel for today is incomparably rich and mysterious. First, we notice that peculiar question, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” No other religious figure or founder would ask such a question. This is the primordial and peculiar question of the Christian faith. It has to do with Jesus and who he is.
The first group that “responds” is the general public: “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” A range of opinions—and all of them wrong.
Then that devastating question: “But who do you say that I am?” You who are closest to me, you whom I have chosen. But the disciples don’t speak. Are they afraid? Perhaps. Are they ignorant? Probably.
Finally, Simon Peter speaks: “The Christ of God.” You are the Messiah, the anointed, the long-awaited Savior; but more to it, you are the Son of God, not just a human hero. This is the mystical faith that stands at the heart of Christianity. This is the standing or falling point. To hold this Petrine faith is to be a Christian; to deny it is not to be a Christian.
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