Throughout the Gospels Jesus is drawn to the outcasts, to the poor and the marginalized. We see him time and time again reaching out to the leper and those seen as unclean by society; to people that he should have avoided based on religious laws, but instead he embraced them.
It is precisely in his embracing of the “suffering ones” that I believe Jesus’ true identity bursts forth.
In today’s Gospel Jesus asks the disciples, who do people say that I am, they give many answers, but then he asks them, most importantly, “But who do you say that I am?”.
And Peter, correctly, responds, “You are the Christ!”, to which Jesus responds by telling them to keep it to themselves and not tell anyone who he really is.
Jesus then goes on to tell them that even though he is the Messiah, he is going to suffer greatly, be rejected by the religious leaders and ultimately be killed! He tells them that anyone who wishes to follow him must deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow him and whoever loses their life for him and for the sake of the Gospel will save their life!
Jesus is letting them all know that they too are going to be beaten, stripped and spit upon just like he will be as he will make his way to Golgotha. Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and to the cross was a journey of embracing all of those who suffer under the weight of their crosses, crosses placed upon them by human traffickers, by unjust immigration policies. An embracing of those who bear the weight of the crosses of systemic racism, bigotry and misogyny and social marginalization.
On his journey to the cross Jesus aligned himself with all the victims of abuse by clergy, by church leaders, and anyone abused physically, sexually or emotionally. He is the Son of the God, the one who the prophet Isaiah spoke of who would walk with the weak and vulnerable.
Just as he embraced those whom others recoiled from or found unworthy or “out of place”…we, as his followers, we are called to embrace them and welcome them.
We are called to reach out to those who are abused and marginalized and ignored by our society. Our discipleship in Jesus Christ calls us to stand together to call out and demand that their voices be heard and that they receive the justice they deserve.
In the midst of a nation so divided we are called to be voices of unity to those who are marginalized and threatened because of the color of their skin or their nationality or their gender or orientation. We are called to be voices of welcome to all those who are being turned away and chased down, villainized and deported. We are called to be voices of welcome to the stranger, to the immigrants and refugees who are seeking a new life in our country.
On the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we are called to carry the cross of all of those who lost their lives in the attacks and in the ensuing wars and the families and loved ones they left behind, whose lives are forever scared and changed.
All the afore mentioned people are the crucified whose crosses, like Simon of Cyrene, we may help to carry, even if for just a few steps on their long journey. And in the carrying of their crosses, we may come to know them just a little better, to understand their suffering, and to see Christ present in them…whose cross might I help carry? And who might I let help carry the crosses of my life?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
It is precisely in his embracing of the “suffering ones” that I believe Jesus’ true identity bursts forth.
In today’s Gospel Jesus asks the disciples, who do people say that I am, they give many answers, but then he asks them, most importantly, “But who do you say that I am?”.
And Peter, correctly, responds, “You are the Christ!”, to which Jesus responds by telling them to keep it to themselves and not tell anyone who he really is.
Jesus then goes on to tell them that even though he is the Messiah, he is going to suffer greatly, be rejected by the religious leaders and ultimately be killed! He tells them that anyone who wishes to follow him must deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow him and whoever loses their life for him and for the sake of the Gospel will save their life!
Jesus is letting them all know that they too are going to be beaten, stripped and spit upon just like he will be as he will make his way to Golgotha. Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and to the cross was a journey of embracing all of those who suffer under the weight of their crosses, crosses placed upon them by human traffickers, by unjust immigration policies. An embracing of those who bear the weight of the crosses of systemic racism, bigotry and misogyny and social marginalization.
On his journey to the cross Jesus aligned himself with all the victims of abuse by clergy, by church leaders, and anyone abused physically, sexually or emotionally. He is the Son of the God, the one who the prophet Isaiah spoke of who would walk with the weak and vulnerable.
Just as he embraced those whom others recoiled from or found unworthy or “out of place”…we, as his followers, we are called to embrace them and welcome them.
We are called to reach out to those who are abused and marginalized and ignored by our society. Our discipleship in Jesus Christ calls us to stand together to call out and demand that their voices be heard and that they receive the justice they deserve.
In the midst of a nation so divided we are called to be voices of unity to those who are marginalized and threatened because of the color of their skin or their nationality or their gender or orientation. We are called to be voices of welcome to all those who are being turned away and chased down, villainized and deported. We are called to be voices of welcome to the stranger, to the immigrants and refugees who are seeking a new life in our country.
On the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we are called to carry the cross of all of those who lost their lives in the attacks and in the ensuing wars and the families and loved ones they left behind, whose lives are forever scared and changed.
All the afore mentioned people are the crucified whose crosses, like Simon of Cyrene, we may help to carry, even if for just a few steps on their long journey. And in the carrying of their crosses, we may come to know them just a little better, to understand their suffering, and to see Christ present in them…whose cross might I help carry? And who might I let help carry the crosses of my life?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
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