Jeremiah 20:7-9 It is as if fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones.
Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9 My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Romans 12:1-2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed.
Matthew 16: 21-27 If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
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Commentary by Dr. Scott Hahn
Today’s First Reading catches the prophet Jeremiah in a moment of weakness. His intimate lamentation contains some of the strongest language of doubt found in the Bible. Following God’s call, he feels abandoned. Preaching His Word has brought him only derision and reproach.
But God does not deceive—and Jeremiah knows this. He tests the just (see Jeremiah 20:11–12), and disciplines His children through their sufferings and trials (see Hebrews 12:5–7).
What Jeremiah learns, Jesus states explicitly in today’s Gospel. To follow Him is to take up a cross, to deny yourself—your priorities, preferences, and comforts. It is to be willing to give it all up, even life itself, for the sake of His gospel. As Paul says in today’s Epistle, we have to join ourselves to the Passion of Christ, to offer our bodies—our whole beings—as living sacrifices to God.
By His Cross, Jesus has shown us what Israel’s sacrifices of animals were meant to teach—that we owe to God all that we have.
God’s kindness is a greater good than life itself, as we sing in today’s Psalm. The only thanks we can offer is our spiritual worship—to give our lives to the service of His will (see Hebrews 10:3–11; Psalm 50:14, 23).
Peter doesn’t yet get this in today’s Gospel. As it was for Jeremiah, the cross is a stumbling block for Peter (see 1 Corinthians 1:23). This too is our natural temptation—to refuse to believe that our sufferings play a necessary part in God’s plan.
That’s how people think, Jesus tells us today. But we are called to the renewal of our minds—to think as God thinks, to will what He wills.
In the Mass, we once again offer ourselves as perfect and pleasing sacrifices of praise (see Hebrews 13:15). We bless Him as we live, confident that we will find our lives in losing them, that with the riches of His banquet, our souls will be satisfied.
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Commentary by Augustine (edited by Soutenus)
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." (Mt 16:24)
Maybe the road seems rough, you draw back, you do not want to follow Christ.
Follow Him just the same. The road we make for ourselves is rough, but Christ has leveled it by passing over it himself.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
If our Lord’s command seems hard and heavy then remember this:
NO command is hard and heavy when it comes from one who helps to carry it out. Jesus also tells us this and it is true: "My yoke is easy and my burden light." Whatever is hard in his commands is made easy by love.
What we love indicates the sort of people we are, and therefore making a decision about this should be our one concern in choosing a way of life.
Who would not wish to follow Christ to supreme happiness, perfect peace, and lasting security? We shall do well to follow him there, but we need to know the way.
Remember that the Lord Jesus had not yet risen from the dead when he gave this invitation. His passion was still before him; he had still to endure the cross, to face outrages, reproaches, scourging; to be pierced by thorns, wounded, insulted, taunted, and put to death.
What we love indicates the sort of people we are, and therefore making a decision about this should be our one concern in choosing a way of life.
Who would not wish to follow Christ to supreme happiness, perfect peace, and lasting security? We shall do well to follow him there, but we need to know the way.
Remember that the Lord Jesus had not yet risen from the dead when he gave this invitation. His passion was still before him; he had still to endure the cross, to face outrages, reproaches, scourging; to be pierced by thorns, wounded, insulted, taunted, and put to death.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
To deny someone is to disown him (see Mt 10:33; 26:34–35) and to deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence
What does it mean to take up one’s cross?
It means bearing whatever is unpleasant as a result of following Jesus.. Once you begin to follow by conforming your life to His commandments, you will find many will contradict you, forbid you, or dissuade you, and some of these will be people calling themselves followers of Christ.
Therefore if you meet with threats and opposition, let this be your cross; pick it up and carry it—do not collapse under it. These words of our Lord are like an exhortation to endure martyrdom.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
It means bearing whatever is unpleasant as a result of following Jesus.. Once you begin to follow by conforming your life to His commandments, you will find many will contradict you, forbid you, or dissuade you, and some of these will be people calling themselves followers of Christ.
Therefore if you meet with threats and opposition, let this be your cross; pick it up and carry it—do not collapse under it. These words of our Lord are like an exhortation to endure martyrdom.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
Sermon 96, 1-4: PL 38, 584-586
Truth in advertising. Salvation is a free gift of grace . . . but it will cost you everything!
When faithfulness to Jesus brings ridicule rather than applause, don’t complain like Jeremiah. Jesus makes clear the cost of discipleship up front. But he also reminds us that the pearl of great price is worth anything we have to pay for it.
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LAGNIAPPE commentary by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio
Jesus had just given Peter the Keys to the Kingdom, changed his name, declared him the Rock – and now, in this Sunday’s gospel, we hear Jesus call him . . . Satan? Here's a reminder of the backstory.
JESUS AS MESSIAH OR CHRIST
As soon as the truth came out at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus was the Messiah, the Lord made clear the unpleasant implications for his followers. When Jews thought of the Messiah (Christ in Greek) in the first century, they thought of God’s anointed, David, gloriously triumphing over the Philistines and just about everyone else. They thought about the peace and prosperity of the empire ruled by Solomon.
Jesus knew that the end of the story would be even more glorious than this–eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. But he also knew that the way to such triumph was the way of the cross, and that anyone who wanted to be his disciple needed to follow him on this Via Dolorosa.
PETER AS "DEVIL"
Jesus had just named Peter “prime minister” by calling him “the rock” and giving him the keys. So Peter felt it entirely his place to pull the king aside and advise him to take a different road. As he had been praised by the Master, now he is rebuked. Jesus goes so far as say to him, “Devil get behind me!” That’s a far cry from “the Rock!”
TEMPTATION OF COMFORT & HONOR
Some have pointed to this as proof that Peter, and his papal successors, are not infallible as Catholics claim. But actually, Matthew 16 illustrates well what the Catholic Church teaches about the subject.
For Catholic doctrine does not proclaim that the pope can never make a mistake in personal judgment. It is only when he fully engages his authority as successor of Peter speaking from Peter’s seat of authority (ex cathedra) that the Church guarantees him to be acting under the charism of truth given by the Father through the Spirit.
When Peter publicly proclaimed “you are the Christ,” Jesus pointed out that this was not from him, but from the Father. When Peter privately said, “God forbid that you should suffer,” Jesus notes that the source of this was Peter himself. And what’s worse, this human opinion was being used by a diabolic manipulator to tempt the Lord to choose comfort and honor over suffering and sacrifice.
PATH TO GLORY THROUGH SACRIFICE
Jesus will have none of it, of course. After all, He is the truth incarnate. And the truth is that glory comes only after sacrifice. And His own incomparable sacrifice will not make things easy for his disciples, but will blaze the trail of sacrifice that they too must walk. The sacrifice that he will offer will be Himself. The sacrifice they will be called to offer will be similar: “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1-2). <---2nd Reading
Peter couldn’t quite get it. None of them could. This is entirely understandable. That is why Jesus had to rebuke with such intensity as to say, “Get behind me Satan!”
During the ministry of Jesus the apostles here and there experienced a passing inspiration from the Holy Spirit, but that Creator Spirit had not yet taken up residence within them. That only came when the fire descended on them in the upper room.
SUFFERING & THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
Before Pentecost, they ran from suffering. After Pentecost they run towards it.
Peter, who denied Jesus, ultimately gave his life for him. A successor of Peter, John Paul II, preached his most eloquent sermon by continuing to serve in the twilight years of his life, a living witness of loving self-giving which is a fruit of Pentecost.
Truth in advertising. Salvation is a free gift of grace . . . but it will cost you everything!
When faithfulness to Jesus brings ridicule rather than applause, don’t complain like Jeremiah. Jesus makes clear the cost of discipleship up front. But he also reminds us that the pearl of great price is worth anything we have to pay for it.
This post on Jesus’ famous rebuke of Peter “get behind me Satan or devil” explores the difference between God’s understanding of the role of Messiah or Christ and Peter’s understanding of it in terms of honor, comfort, and glory. It is offered as reflection upon the readings for the twenty-second (22nd) Sunday in Ordinary Time, liturgical cycle A (Jeremiah 20:7-9), Psalm 63, Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) on the Via Dolorosa, the way of the cross, suffering and sacrifice, as the only road to glory.
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I have never been completely sure if I am choosing the correct pronunciation. I decided it was time to ardently seek the correct pronunciation and quit guessing.
I found this and now I feel much better! Either way, it's AOK.
So . . . . now we know!
philistine
How to pronounce philistine noun in American English (fil-i-steen)
How to pronounce philistine noun in British English (fil-i-stine)
(English pronunciations of “philistine” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, both sources © Cambridge University Press)
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