Fr Marco Lazzaron
he Apostle Peter appears again in today’s Gospel. But, whereas last Sunday we admired him for his straightforward faith in Jesus, whom he proclaimed to be the Christ (“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”), this time, in the episode that immediately follows, he shows a faith that is still immature and too closely tied to the “mindset of this world” (cf. Rom 12:2). When Jesus begins to speak openly about the destiny that awaits him in Jerusalem—that is, that he will have to suffer greatly and be killed, and then rise again—Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to rebuke him, saying: “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to you”.
It is clear that the Master and the disciple are following two opposing ways of thinking. Peter, according to a human way of reasoning, is convinced that God would never allow His Son to bring His mission to an end by dying on the cross. Jesus, on the contrary, knows that the Father, in His immense love for humanity, has sent Him to give His life for them, and that if this entails the Passion and the Cross, then it is right that it should happen this way. On the other hand, He also knows that the final word will be the Resurrection. Peter’s protest, although spoken in good faith and out of sincere love for the Master, sounds to Jesus like a temptation, an invitation to save Himself, whereas it is only by losing His life that He will receive it anew and eternally for all of us.
If, in order to save us, the Son of God had to suffer and die crucified, this was certainly not because of some cruel plan on the part of the heavenly Father. Indeed, through His death and Resurrection, Jesus defeated sin and death, restoring the sovereignty of God. But the struggle is not over: evil exists and continues in every generation, including ours. What are the horrors of war, the violence inflicted upon the innocent, the poverty and injustice that oppress the weak? And how can we respond to such wickedness except with the unarmed strength of love that overcomes hatred? This is the same mysterious strength that Jesus used, at the cost of being misunderstood and abandoned by many of His own people. Pope Leo said something similar just after being elected Pontiff: “Peace be with you! These are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock. I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you!” (Pope Leo XIV, 08th May 2025).
It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.
the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.
In order to bring the work of salvation to its full completion, the Redeemer continues to associate men and women with Himself and with His mission—people willing to take up the cross and follow Him. For Christians, as for Christ, carrying the Cross is therefore not optional, but a mission to be embraced out of love. In our present world, where the forces that divide and destroy seem to dominate, Christ never ceases to extend to everyone His clear invitation: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” This means that whoever wishes to be a disciple of the Lord must deny his own selfishness and carry the Cross with Him. Jesus reminds us that His way is the way of love, and there is no true love without self-sacrifice.
Finally, Jesus says to His disciples: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what profit will there be for a man if he gains the whole world but loses his life?” These words of the Divine Teacher tell us that spending our talents, our energy, and our time solely in order to save, protect, and fulfil ourselves actually leads us to an existence that is sad and barren. Instead, if we live for the Lord and build our lives upon love, as Jesus did, we will be able to taste authentic joy, and our lives will be fruitful.
Prayer
Let us invoke the help of the Blessed Virgin, who followed Jesus all the way to Calvary, where He was crucified. May she help us not to be afraid of the cross and to follow the Lord decisively, so that even now, amid our trials, we may experience the glory of the Resurrection. Amen!