BEADS OF JOY 09-23-16
“Peter’s Confession”
©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS
My Friends,
Today’s Gospel: Luke 9:18-22 (Peter’s Confession)
“Now it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with him; and he asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?" And they answered, "John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen." And he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God." But he charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."
Reflection:
Who do you say that Jesus is? It is the Holy Spirit that guides us and leads us to Jesus. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we begin to understand the Gospel and who Jesus is in our lives. Do you openly allow the Spirit of God to work through you; so that you can witness and live a life of courage and faith, standing strong in your faith in Jesus Christ? Jesus never said it would be easy. For Him it took humiliation, suffering beyond what we could ever imagine and then eventual death upon a cross, a cross He had to carry.
If we ever intend to share in the Victory of His Resurrection we to must also carry our own Cross. Some have light crosses in this life, while others have enormously clumsy extremely heavy ones. God’s knows what we can handle and He only allows that which we can handle, no more. The Holy Spirit gives us the faith and the strength we need to know Jesus and to get through this life as witnesses to His Truth, His Word, His Victory over sin. Who do you say Jesus is?
Why did Jesus say to the disciples, “…tell this to no one”? That seems rather odd, wouldn’t Jesus want Peter to proclaim his witness, his faith to all? Well I found a wonderful, well explained explanation for His request for their silence, that I wish to share with you from Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD):
“There were things yet unfulfilled which must also be included in their preaching about him. They must also proclaim the cross, the passion, and the death in the flesh. They must preach the resurrection of the dead, that great and truly glorious sign by which testimony is borne him that the Emmanuel is truly God and by nature the Son of God the Father. He utterly abolished death and wiped out destruction. He robbed hell, and overthrew the tyranny of the enemy. He took away the sin of the world, opened the gates above to the dwellers upon earth, and united earth to heaven. These things proved him to be, as I said, in truth God. He commanded them, therefore, to guard the mystery by a seasonable silence until the whole plan of the dispensation should arrive at a suitable conclusion.”
LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!
Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
**(NEW DAILY FEATURE)
Today is Friday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:
The Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2. Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5. The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46
Thank you Lord for loving us so much…
Rosary Man Jim’s Sorrowful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-sorrowful-mysteries_11.html
FRIDAY’S
I share this meditation I wrote back in 2010. Here I share my own personal insight and experience, as I journey with our Lady from station to station.
Many Franciscan groups around the world use this for their own group gathering while they meditate the Stations with our Lady. http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2010/03/marys-way-of-cross.html It is unique and emotionally very moving as you move from station to station… From my heart to yours.
