(Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
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| “Christ with His Disciples” by Jorgan Roed c. 1880 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Genesis 9:1-13
Commentary on Gn 9:1-13
The first section of this reading provides God’s blessing and instructions to Noah and his sons who are to now repopulate the earth. They first receive dominion over all life, as man did at the creation, with no dietary restrictions save one: don’t eat raw meat or living flesh. “Because a living being dies when it loses most of its blood, the ancients regarded blood as the seat of life, and therefore as sacred. Although in itself the prohibition against eating meat with blood in it is comparable to the ritual laws of the Mosaic code, the Jews considered it binding on all men, because it was given by God to Noah, the new ancestor of all mankind; therefore the early Christian Church retained it for a time (Acts 15:20, 29)”[4]
There follows a short statement that prefigures the Ten Commandments – thou shall not kill.
The Lord then goes on to establish and seal his covenant with the earth in the person of Noah, using the rainbow as an eternal symbol. In this covenant, God promises not to destroy the earth using a great flood ever again.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
R. (20b) From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
Commentary on Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
Psalm 102 is an individual lament. In these strophes, we find the cry of the people in the desert once more being directed to the Lord. The psalmist, expressing trust in the mercy of God, asks for a release from suffering and bondage for the people (“The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die”). The singer gives us a prayer of thanksgiving for the restoration of the people to Israel after the Diaspora. God brought them back from their captivity and reestablished them in Zion. The prayer prefigures God’s salvation offered in the New Jerusalem – God’s heavenly kingdom.
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Gospel: Mark 8:27-33
Commentary on Mk 8:27-33
This selection from St. Mark’s Gospel is pivotal for the original audience. Up to this point in Jesus' public ministry he has been thought of by those who meet him as a prophet and teacher – a Holy Man. That view changes as St. Peter identifies him as “Christ,” the Messiah. Because the popular expectations about the Messiah differed greatly from the image and demeanor of Jesus, the Lord instructs them not to broadcast his true identity. After silencing them (his closest friends), Jesus uses the title “Son of Man” (see Daniel 7:13-14). He goes on to explain that “the Son of Man” (see NAB note on Mark 8:31), using his true humanity as a title, must go through suffering and humiliation before his final victory.
This frightens the disciples, and probably confuses many of the entourage (remember, there were more than just the 12 following Jesus around). Peter confronts Jesus asking him to take a different approach to what he tells his students. Seeing this request as an invitation or temptation to take a different path, Jesus rebukes Peter and lashes out; “Get behind me Satan.”
CCC: Mk 8:27 472; Mk 8:31-33 557; Mk 8:31 474, 572, 649
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Reflection:
“Who do you say that I am?” That question is one that is asked of us each day. It is so easy to answer with the “right” answer. Like Peter, our lips announce that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one, the Savior of the world predicted by the prophets. The actions that flow from that profession of faith, however, say what we really think.
I was listening to a motivational speech by Jerry Linenger recently as he described his mission to the Mir Space Station. He was saying that, after he came back to earth after being in space for 5 months, he had difficulty adjusting to the presence of gravity. On the space station when he had finished writing he would simply set his pen in the air beside him. Upon his return he caught himself doing the same, expecting it to just float there as it did in space. He was always surprised to hear it dropping. He joked that he broke a bunch of glasses at home that way, and his wife ended up making him drink out of one of his toddler son’s sippy cups.
The point of this anecdote is that if he were asked, “Is there gravity?”, his answer would be, “Of course there is gravity.” However, his reactions were not consistent with his words. His subconscious memory of the lack of gravity caused him to behave as if things were weightless.
“Who do people say that I am?” We must look at our reactions, our instinctive behavior and understand our answer from the heart. Our goal must be to subconsciously act as Christ would have us act. When that happens we know that we have succeeded in putting on the mind of Christ.
It is difficult, we know. It may be impossible (like lifting your right foot and moving it in a clock wise direction and trying to write the number six with your right hand – your foot will reverse directions against your conscious will. – Don’t waste too much time trying to prove me wrong). We continue to strive for that goal.
Pax
[1] The picture used is “Christ with His Disciples” by Jorgan Roed c. 1880.
[4] See NAB footnote on Genesis 9:4.
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