First reading Haggai 1:15-2:9
‘The new glory of this Temple is to surpass the old’
In the second year of King Darius, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows, ‘You are to speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the high commissioner of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people. Say this, “Who is there left among you that saw this Temple in its former glory? And how does it look to you now? Does it seem nothing to you? But take courage now, Zerubbabel – it is the Lord who speaks. Courage, High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak! Courage, all you people of the country! – it is the Lord who speaks. To work! I am with you – it is the Lord of Hosts who speaks – and my spirit remains among you. Do not be afraid! For the Lord of Hosts says this: A little while now, and I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations and the treasures of all the nations shall flow in, and I will fill this Temple with glory, says the Lord of Hosts. Mine is the silver, mine the gold! – it is the Lord of Hosts who speaks. The new glory of this Temple is going to surpass the old, says the Lord of Hosts, and in this place I will give peace – it is the Lord of Hosts who speaks.”’
Responsorial Psalm 42(43):1-4
Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.
Defend me, O God, and plead my cause
against a godless nation.
From deceitful and cunning men
rescue me, O God.
Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.
Since you, O God, are my stronghold,
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go mourning
oppressed by the foe?
Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.
O send forth your light and your truth;
let these be my guide.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.
And I will come to the altar of God,
the God of my joy.
My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,
O God, my God.
Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.
Gospel Luke 9:18-22
‘You are the Christ of God’
One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ And they answered, ‘John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God’ he said. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this.
‘The Son of Man’ he said ‘is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’
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Who do you say I am?
“One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples”. Jesus was a man of prayer. He was constantly in communion with God His Father, which was the source of His daily strength and peace. St. Luke, the evangelist, on other occasions, points out that Jesus would go off to a lonely place by Himself to pray. However, here in this passage, Jesus was portrayed as praying in the presence of His disciples. Even though He was with people, Jesus did not stop praying and being in communion with God. We sometimes think that we have to be in a quiet place to be in prayer. However, we can find God in the silence as well as in the crowd. May we yearn to always be in prayerful union with God even when we are surrounded by others.
Jesus once again asks us, “Who do you say I am?”. This is a question that nobody can answer for us. The answer is expressed through our personal daily commitment to Jesus and our willingness to walk the path of discipleship with its pains and joys.
Question for reflection:
In this time of prayer, what is the message that Jesus has for me?
In this time of prayer, what is the message that Jesus has for me?
