Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Matthew 16: 24-28
August 08, 2025 | Friday

Today’s Gospel

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If you want to follow me, deny yourself. Take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life, for my sake, will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world, if he destroys his soul? Or what can a person give, in exchange for his life? Know, that the Son of Man will come, in the glory of his Father with the holy angels, and he will reward each one according to his deeds. Truly, I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death, before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Today’s Reflection

Moses, presented as the “trusted and friend” who sees God face to face, falters in the last moment as the people of Israel draw near the promised land. The sins in Meribah and Massah prevented him from entering the promised land. He faltered to trust in the Lord and relied on his power to produce water from the stone, which echoes the sin of pride. It is good to be reminded again to acknowledge our dependence on God and not rely on our capacity but rather on God’s providence when dire circumstances occur.

There were two Caesarea in the NT times; one was Alexandria, and the other was in Philippi. It was in the latter that Peter’s impulsive and vacillating personality was put into place. The affirmation of Jesus as the messiah would only come from the Father. On the other hand, the contrary happens when he receives immediate rebuke (get behind me, Satan) from Jesus for not immediately understanding the mission of that affirmation and confirmation as the messiah. In other passages, Jesus repeatedly rebuked his disciples for misunderstanding his mission. Peter’s full “confession and rebuke” only shows the disciple’s human side and commissioning. The disciples are human beings who, like us, are also prone to temptation. Despite that, Peter was entrusted with authority and the foundation of the Church.

Often, we have the same attitude as Moses and Peter: erratic but faithful, sinner but zealous to God. There are moments when we lose and deny God’s grace and presence because of circumstances and sins. What is consoling is to know that God always opens His arms, albeit rebuking us, to return to Him.

/Vulnerasti, 2025