Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 8, 2024
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
and he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
From that time on, 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.”
I have a bad habit of looking up the ending of a movie or TV show as I watch it. Sometimes, I can’t take the suspense. I have to know if the hero prevails. When I read this gospel, it struck me that we already know the ending to the most incredible story ever told—Jesus won!
When Peter confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus responds by entrusting him with leadership of the church. Notably, not only does our Lord direct Peter, but he also makes a promise: “The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
In a chaotic world, it is hard to believe evil will not prevail. This is why faith is essential. We are called to place our entire trust in God. To believe wholeheartedly, as Peter did, that Jesus is the Son of God. If this is true, then his promise of heaven’s victory over evil is also true. Importantly, he already won by suffering, dying, and rising on the third day.
This gives me great hope and compels me to consider my own part in this epic life story. When I reflect, I notice that I sometimes fixate on small, worldly things like, “Do my colleagues and boss like me? Will I get a raise this year?”
Perhaps a better question is, “Am I spreading the Good News in the way that I live?” The answer to this question lies in how well I love and serve my neighbors and family. That is our earthly participation in Christ’s victory, and it reminds me of my favorite quote from C.S. Lewis: “He died not for men, but for each man.” Each of us is essential to building the kingdom of God here on Earth, standing with Christ against the gates of the netherworld.
Prayer
May the risen Christ help us to see through His eyes rather than with our limited vision. May we forgive as He forgave, call ourselves and others to transformative repentance, and give thanks for the graces that allow us to live His life here on earth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen