Follow Me with Your Cross

09-03-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

In 2005, in a certain remote village a man encouraged two of his children to go for evening Catechism classes and adoration in the church. The elder one was about twelve years while the younger was four or five years old. It had rained heavily that afternoon and there was a great flood. When the catechism and adoration were over the two kids made their way back home. Because of the flood the older boy carried the younger one on his back. Suddenly the shoe of the small one fell in one of the flowing waters. The older one dropped the small one on the sidewalk and went back to pick up the shoe, and immediately the flood carried him, and he hit his head on something and died there. The father on hearing the news went straight to the priest and asked the priest where God was when my son who came for adoration and catechism died in the flood. The priest not knowing what to answer only responded that God was where He was when His son Jesus died on the cross.

In the gospel of last Sunday, we read about the confession of Peter. Peter’s true confession of the identity of Jesus gained him the name Petra rock. Not quite long after the same Peter who was called rock and proclaimed as the head on whom the church would be built is called Satan. What has happened?

The simple reason is that Peter was right on Jesus’ identity as Messiah but failed to understand the implication of Messiahship. So, when Jesus says that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the scribes and elders and be killed, Peter could not take that. Peter could not understand what kind of Messiah would die on the cross; Peter took Jesus by the side and told him, “God forbid, Lord. This shall never happen to you.” He simply does not want suffering for his friend and master. Jesus then tells his disciple if any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. The scandal of the cross remains the key to the interpretation of the great mystery of suffering which is so much a part of the history of mind.

The crucified Christ is proof of God’s solidarity with man in his suffering. God places Himself on the side of man. If the agony on the cross had not happened, the truth that God is love would have been unfounded. Jeremiah, in the first reading, complains how he has been made a laughingstock by people because of his suffering. He is contemplating giving up, but he keeps on trusting in God who called him.

In the same way, many of us are daily confronted with human pain and suffering that at times we tend to lose hope as we could not reconcile the idea of a loving and merciful God with human pain and suffering. But that is what Jesus teaches us today; that if you are to be his disciple you must accept the challenges of the cross in your life. It was when Peter tried to dissuade him from it that, Jesus turned to him and said “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me for you are not on the side of God but men.” By calling him Satan he refers literally to one who opposes and or obstructs God’s plans. Satan here refers to anything like, choices and actions that set themselves against God’s loving plan for redemption. Let us unite our daily challenges with that of Jesus and we would find peace of mind.

Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.