Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 30, 2026
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
As a Middle School teacher, my day-to-day life in the classroom is marked by beautiful chaos. At night, as I pray, I often sort the day’s events into a mental T-chart. On one side, I place the “Good Friday” moments—my experiences of the cross and reality of suffering. On the other side, I place the “Easter Sunday” moments—my experiences of daily resurrection and hope. I find that my days are a sequence of experiencing Christ in both.
Today’s gospel passage is situated between two well-known moments. Just before it, Peter declares that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” and Jesus gives Peter “the keys of the kingdom,” building the church upon the rock, Petros. (Mt. 16:13-20) Right after today’s gospel, Peter, James, and John experience the transfigured Christ on Mount Tabor. (Mt. 17:1-13) In my mental prayer T-chart, these moments would undoubtedly fall in the “Easter Sunday” column. What great hope they provide!
In between these two mountaintop moments, Jesus foretells his death and resurrection and speaks of the cross and self-denial, showing his disciples about suffering and the true demands of Christian discipleship. Peter resists Christ’s impending suffering, and Jesus responds, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” In my mental prayer T-chart, these moments would fall in the “Good Friday” column because they speak a hard truth to my heart: Jesus suffers, and I must carry my daily crosses too.
When I pray about Jesus’ words and hold the many hard moments of my days in the classroom, I feel like Jacob wrestling with the angel. Why did this student have to experience this? Why do their loved ones have to carry that cross? Why is the world not the way it should be?!?
The presence of today’s “Good Friday” gospel, found between “Easter Sunday” moments, reminds me that the loving Christ, who promises that I will not bear my crosses alone, is present in both. I am gently reminded that the cross is our only hope.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you challenge us to deny ourselves, to pick up our cross and to follow you daily. Give us the humility and strength to bear our burdens with peace and joy as we strive to walk in your footsteps. Help us to let go of ourselves, to let your life fill our hearts. Guide us to your salvation. We ask this in your name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Pammachius was a prominent citizen in the ancient Christian empire of Rome, and his life is woven together with the lives of all of the prominent saints of his age. His devoted love for his wife led him to holiness, even after her death.
He was classmates with the great Scripture scholar, St. Jerome; they studied rhetoric together and remained close friends for the rest of their lives. Pammachius was a member of a noble family and grew up to become a Roman senator.
In 385, he married Paulina (who was also friends with St. Jerome; her mother is also a saint). Twelve years later, Paulina died in childbirth. Pammachius must have been heartbroken, as he received letters of sympathy and encouragement from many friends. “Your wife is now a witness and an intercessor for you with Jesus Christ,” wrote a friend, St. Paulinus. “Make her a partner in your charities. She is honored by your virtues. She is fed by the bread you have given to the poor.”
Pammachius took the advice and dedicated the rest of his life to works of charity. With another friend, St. Fabiola, he built a hospice in Rome to offer shelter to pilgrims, especially those who were sick and poor. He cared for the forgotten people of Rome—poor and disabled people gathered around him whenever he went into the streets. He saw his care for the poor as a way of following in his wife’s footsteps.
Pammachius corresponded with the great St. Augustine, and was fearlessly honest in his letters to St. Jerome, who was known to be bitter and vitriolic at times in his pursuit of the cause of truth. Pammachius wrote several times to urge Jerome to tone down his language. Jerome often refused, but their correspondence encouraged him into new ways of thinking.
St. Pammachius, the Roman senator, your devotion to your deceased wife led you to give your life to the poor—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Pammachius is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Last accessed March 27, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
