First reading James 2:1-9
God chose the poor but you do not respect them
My brothers, do not try to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes of people. Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, beautifully dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, ‘Come this way to the best seats’; then you tell the poor man, ‘Stand over there’ or ‘You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.’ Can’t you see that you have used two different standards in your mind, and turned yourselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that?
Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. In spite of this, you have no respect for anybody who is poor. Isn’t it always the rich who are against you? Isn’t it always their doing when you are dragged before the court? Aren’t they the ones who insult the honourable name to which you have been dedicated? Well, the right thing to do is to keep the supreme law of scripture: you must love your neighbour as yourself; but as soon as you make distinctions between classes of people, you are committing sin, and under condemnation for breaking the Law.
Responsorial Psalm 33(34):2-7
This poor man called; the Lord heard him.
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.
This poor man called; the Lord heard him.
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
This poor man called; the Lord heard him.
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
This poor man called; the Lord heard him.
Gospel Mark 8:27-33
‘Who do you say I am?’
Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ And they told him. ‘John the Baptist,’ they said ‘others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he asked ‘who do you say I am?’ Peter spoke up and said to him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; and he said all this quite openly. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’
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You are the Christ and I follow you
Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?”. It was Peter who replied correctly to Jesus’ question when he said, “You are the Christ”. Yet, Peter’s understanding of who Jesus was as the Christ was limited and immature. He looked at Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah who would one day lead Israel to victory over the Romans. Thus, when Jesus started speaking about a suffering Messiah, Peter could not accept it and took Him aside to rebuke Him.
We tend towards walking the path of victory, comfort, success and honour. Yet, Jesus has in mind a different way, one that does not reject unavoidable suffering. Today, let us listen to Jesus as He asks us, “Who do you say I am?”. The answer to His question reveals the depth of our determination to follow after Him.
Question for reflection:
What is my answer to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?”
What is my answer to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?”
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
