Do Not Be Afraid: A Call to Evangelize

September 3, 2026 Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church Readings for Today Readings for Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Image via Adobe Stock Video While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:1–4 At that moment, Simon could not have grasped the full significance of Jesus’ actions. Our Lord chose to preach to the crowds from the boat “belonging to Simon.” When He had finished speaking, He turned to Simon and said, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Traditionally, the boat has been understood as a symbol of the Church. It is particularly meaningful that this first use of a boat in Jesus’ public ministry involved Simon’s vessel. Later in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus says: “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31–32). In this powerful passage, Jesus entrusts Simon with the unique mission of leadership and fraternal support. Though Simon would stumble during the Passion, his faith would be restored, and his role confirmed, not merely as a disciple, but as one called to fortify the faith of others. This divine commission echoes the symbolic act at the Lake of Gennesaret, where Simon’s boat becomes the pulpit from which the Word is proclaimed. And, as is recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus later changed Simon’s name to Peter, making him the rock foundation upon which He would build His Church, promising the gates of hell would not prevail against it (cf. Matthew 16:17–19). By choosing Simon’s boat, Jesus foreshadowed that the Gospel would go forth from the Church, built upon Simon Peter’s faith and leadership. Christ remains the cornerstone, yet Simon would serve as the rock: a foundational witness whose confession and fidelity would uphold the apostolic Church. This moment by the lake is far more than a simple teaching setting. It is a prophetic image of the Church: anchored by Peter, guided by Christ, and commissioned to cast its nets into the deep waters of the world, drawing souls into the Kingdom of God. Christ alone has the power to draw all people to Himself, yet He chooses to do so through Peter, his successors, and all faithful collaborators who serve as fishers of men. As the passage continues, Simon obeys Jesus’ command and puts out into deep water. The result is an astonishing catch that is so abundant that the nets begin to tear. Others must come to help, a clear symbol of the necessary collaboration among all members of the Church, working together in Christ’s divinely guided mission. We, too, are called to share in that same mission and to imitate Simon’s humility upon witnessing the miraculous catch. He fell at Jesus’ feet and cried out, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). He was deeply humbled and recognized his unworthiness before the divine presence. Jesus, however, looked upon Simon and those with him, including Andrew, James, and John, and said, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10). These words are meant for each of us. Fear is often the greatest obstacle to fully embracing God’s call. But when we respond with humility and courage, trusting in His grace, we will find ourselves part of the great mission to draw others into the safety of the Church. Reflect today on the sacred image of Simon’s boat. See in it a foreshadowing of the Church, and consider how you are called to serve within her. Christ continues to preach from this vessel, to call others into its safety, and to call you to cast your net into the deep where many souls await the Gospel and God’s mercy. All-powerful Lord, You first preached from a humble fishing boat owned by Simon. Today, You continue to preach and reach out to those caught in the deep and turbulent waters of this world. Please send me, as You later sent Simon Peter, to bring Your Gospel to those who need it most. Purify me of every fear, so that I may answer Your call with courage and zeal. Jesus, I trust in You.

The Power of His Word

September 2, 2026 Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Christ Healing the Mother of Simon Peter’s Wife, by John Bridges Video After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. Luke 4:38–39 In today’s Gospel, we encounter the first mention of Simon—whose name Jesus would later change to Peter—in Luke’s account. Simon was likely present in the synagogue and witnessed Jesus cast out a demon from a possessed man. With a simple command, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”, Jesus revealed His divine authority. The people were astonished and exclaimed, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Luke 4:35–36). Having seen His authority firsthand, Simon presumably spoke to Jesus about his mother-in-law, who was suffering from a severe fever. It is striking to imagine the moment of Simon’s first personal encounter with the Lord. Though Jesus, in His divine foresight, knew what Simon would one day become—the first pope entrusted with the spiritual authority of Heaven—Simon himself could not have foreseen how radically his life was about to change. Upon entering Simon’s home, Jesus rebuked the fever. The Greek word used here, epitimaō, is the same word used in the previous passage when Jesus rebuked the demon. This deliberate parallel reveals that both the spiritual and physical realms are subject to Jesus’ command. What He rebuked were real evils and disorders: demonic possession as a violation of the soul and the fever as a natural affliction of the body. Later in this Gospel passage, Jesus continues healing many who are sick and casting out demons. Once again, He rebukes the demons, silencing them and forbidding them to speak. Though they cry out, “You are the Son of God,” Jesus does not permit them to bear witness to Him. He has no need of demons to proclaim His identity. His revelation will come in His time, by His own design, especially through the Cross and Resurrection. Jesus’ rebukes, whether uttered by a word, expressed through a gesture, or conveyed by His mere presence, are divine actions against evil. They are not expressions of wishful hope, but authoritative, efficacious commands. What He speaks comes to be. His word is not just powerful; it accomplishes what it declares. Understanding this is foundational to our life of faith and our spiritual journey. When we turn to Christ with trust, we must believe that His word has the power to heal, to free, and to transform. He does not speak in vain. His authority extends to every dimension of our lives, body, soul, and spirit, and He desires to restore all that has been wounded by sin, suffering, or disorder. One of the most tangible and powerful ways this takes place today is through the words of absolution spoken by the priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a spiritual authority first given to Simon Peter and passed down through apostolic succession. The words of absolution are Christ’s words, words that rebuke sin and its effects, restoring the soul to grace and peace. They are divine actions that accomplish what they signify. Though the words of absolution may be the clearest example, every Sacrament—Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony—conveys God’s grace and power through the efficacious word and action of Christ. Reflect today on your own trust in the power of Jesus’ word. Do you believe He can rebuke the disorders in your life with divine authority? Do you turn to Him with confidence in the Sacraments, knowing that what He speaks, He accomplishes? Surrender all that afflicts you to the power of His Word, and allow Him to restore you to grace, relying especially on the sacramental authority given to Simon Peter and exercised by the priests who have followed after. My authoritative Lord, when You speak, what You speak comes to be. Speak to me, Lord. Rebuke my sin and weakness, so that Your holy will may be accomplished in my life. Let me hear Your voice, especially in the Sacraments through which Your mercy is poured forth and Your power is made manifest. Jesus, I trust in You.

The Holy One of God

September 1, 2026 Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Jesus Casts Out the Evil Spirit, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld Video In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. Luke 4:33–35 Yesterday, we began reading from the Gospel of Luke in our weekday liturgies, and we will continue to do so until the season of Advent. Luke’s Gospel was written especially for Gentile converts—those unfamiliar with Jewish customs—presenting Jesus not only as the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes but also as the Savior of all humanity. Unlike Matthew, who highlights Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, Luke reveals a broader vision: a universal Savior who brings healing, mercy, and salvation to the poor, the outcast, and the sinner. In today’s passage, that universal mission is subtly foreshadowed through Jesus’ divine authority. Though the setting is a Jewish synagogue in Capernaum, His actions speak to a power not confined to time, place, or people. With a simple word, Jesus rebukes the demon, silences its protest, and frees the afflicted man. The astonishment of the crowd—“What is there about his word?”—captures the essence of the moment: Here is One whose authority reaches even into the unseen spiritual world and commands it. Though He ministers among His own people, Jesus is not merely a teacher of the Law or a local prophet. His authority is absolute, His identity divine. The demon’s cry—“I know who you are, the Holy One of God!”—offers a strange testimony: Even the spiritual forces of darkness recognize and submit to Him. This is not just a healing; it is a confrontation between the kingdom of God and the powers of evil. And it is only the beginning. Luke includes this scene early in his Gospel to show that Jesus’ mission is one of liberation—liberation from sin, bondage, and every form of darkness. The fact that this miracle occurs in a synagogue reminds us that no place, however sacred, is immune to the presence of evil. But more importantly, it reminds us that no evil is immune to the authority of Christ. It is also helpful to recall the broader context. This event comes shortly after Jesus’ baptism, His forty days in the desert, and His rejection in Nazareth. That rejection led Him to Capernaum, a humble fishing village that would become the center of His Galilean ministry. It is here that He will call Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew—men who will carry His Gospel to the ends of the earth. Thus, what begins in a small synagogue soon echoes to the nations. Reflect today on the universal scope of Luke’s Gospel, which we will hear over the coming months. Though Jesus begins within Israel, His mission reaches every soul. By beginning His ministry with a confrontation against evil, Jesus reveals that He has come not only to teach but to conquer—to break the chains of darkness and bring divine healing to the world. His Word still speaks with authority. May we listen, believe, and be set free from the evil one and all his demonic powers, so that we may help proclaim Christ’s Kingdom to the ends of the earth in our own unique ways. My Lord and Holy One of God, from the very beginning of Your public ministry, You established Your divine authority over evil, revealing that You came to destroy the kingdom of darkness and to build Your Eternal Kingdom of truth and grace. Please cast out all evil and sin from my heart, so that Your reign may take full possession of my soul. Use me as You will to further Your Kingdom on earth, bringing Your light and truth to the ends of the earth, one soul at a time. Jesus, I trust in You.

A Holy Provocation

August 31, 2026 Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

The Brow of the Hill Near Nazareth, by James Tissot Video When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. Luke 4:28–30 What a sobering beginning to our Lord’s public ministry. Shortly after His baptism in the Jordan River and the establishment of Capernaum as the center of His ministry, Jesus began calling His disciples and performing powerful miracles. News of His preaching and healing spread rapidly, reaching His hometown of Nazareth. When Jesus returned to Nazareth, those who had known Him from His youth were not prepared for what they witnessed. In the synagogue, He stood and read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. It was a messianic passage foretelling the One anointed by the Spirit to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed. After reading, Jesus sat down and solemnly proclaimed, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” With these words, He revealed Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah. At first, the people were amazed at the gracious words He spoke. But their awe quickly turned to confusion, then to hostility. “Is this not the son of Joseph?” they asked, unable to reconcile the divine authority they had just encountered with the humble figure they remembered from years past. Their familiarity bred contempt. Their hearts, bound by human reasoning and pride, could not accept the divine mystery standing before them. Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus addressed the unspoken demand in their hearts—the desire to see in Nazareth the same wonders He had performed elsewhere. But He offered them no signs. Instead, He offered truth, recalling that in the days of Elijah and Elisha, God’s blessings were extended not to Israelites, but to Gentiles—a widow in Zarephath and a leper from Syria. This comparison deeply offended their national pride and shattered their assumptions about divine favor. Rather than receiving His rebuke with humility, they were filled with fury. The crowd attempted to kill the very One they had once known as neighbor and craftsman. Yet Jesus, untouched, “passed through the midst of them and went away.” Jesus certainly knew this would happen. In His divine wisdom, He foresaw the reaction He would receive. And in a mysterious way, He even appears to draw it out. Why? Because this holy provocation was an act of mercy. In exposing the hardness of their hearts, Jesus gave them an opportunity to confront their pride, repent, and receive the Kingdom in truth. In the months and years ahead, many of the people of Nazareth likely benefited from this initial encounter. There is little doubt that after Jesus left Nazareth, He remained the talk of the town. There is no record of Him returning. However, as He continued His public ministry, the people who had rejected Him would have continued to hear reports of His authoritative preaching and miraculous works. Some may have even traveled to nearby towns, such as Capernaum, to witness Him for themselves. In doing so, their initial rejection would have confronted them anew—forcing a choice: Either repent and believe, or grow in bitterness and confusion. Either Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah or He was a false prophet. There could be no middle ground. Reflect today on the mysterious ways Jesus continues to provoke hearts—including your own. Sometimes His Word unsettles us not because it is harsh, but because it is true, and we are unprepared to accept it and change. The people of Nazareth teach us that we—like them—sometimes need our pride stirred up so we can see it and reject it. As you consider the people of Nazareth from that moment forward, see yourself in them. Recognize any ways that you respond with hostility to humbling truths that are hard to accept, and allow time and grace to heal you—helping you to repent and grow in gratitude for Jesus’ humbling and holy provocation. My challenging Lord, You see into the depths of my heart. When I resist Your Word, provoke me in mercy. Confront my pride, reveal my blindness, and call me to repentance. May I never reject You, but always surrender with trust to the truth You offer. Jesus, I trust in You.

John Travolta decided to take direct action

He walked into the cargo area, stacked five tons of rations, bottles of water, medicines, and emergency medical kits himself, and sat in the cockpit to fly the plane.

It was September 2005, and the city of New Orleans was submerged in floodwaters after the devastating passage of Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of families were stranded without food, clean drinking water, or basic medical supplies, waiting for help that seemed to arrive far too slowly.

While many Hollywood figures posted messages of support or wrote checks from afar, John Travolta decided to take direct action.

Being a fully certified commercial pilot with years of flight experience, he loaded his private jet and took off toward the disaster zone.

He did not hire a private flight crew or send representatives to handle the logistics. He personally loaded the heavy boxes of supplies and sat in the pilot seat to fly straight into the crisis area.

When he landed near the affected region, he stepped out of the aircraft and worked alongside local rescue teams to unload the cargo.

He spent time talking directly to emergency workers, asking them, "What else do you need right now, and how fast can I bring it back to you?"

His immediate delivery of medical supplies gave doctors the exact medicines they desperately needed to treat injured survivors.

Five years later, in January 2010, a terrible earthquake devastated Haiti, destroying its capital city and leaving hundreds of thousands of people injured and without shelter.

The local airport in Port-au-Prince was severely damaged, and regular commercial flights were entirely grounded.

Remembering the lesson from Katrina, Travolta organized an even larger relief mission. He loaded his large Boeing 707 aircraft with six tons of ready-to-eat meals, emergency medical equipment, and surgical instruments.

This time, he also filled the passenger cabin with a team of volunteer doctors, nurses, and relief workers who had no other way to get into the country.

Once again, he took the pilot controls and flew the aircraft through crowded airways and difficult landing conditions into Port-au-Prince. After landing safely, he helped guide the medical team onto the field and assisted in unloading the supplies.

Before stepping back into the cockpit, he looked at the medical crew and said,

"You are the real heroes here, and I am just glad my plane could serve as your bridge to these people."

These quiet missions reveal a side of the famous actor that goes far beyond his famous movie roles and Hollywood fame.

For him, holding a commercial pilot license was never just an expensive hobby or a lifestyle choice, but a personal tool to bring direct aid when disaster strikes.

He used his personal resources, his time, and his piloting skills to deliver hope when every minute counted for people facing total destruction.

Behind the glamour of Hollywood lies a heart that beats for humanity. John Travolta proved that true greatness is not measured by the movies you make, but by the lives you touch when the world is breaking apart.

When the skies were dark, he used his wings to bring light to those who had lost everything. His quiet generosity reminds us all that the greatest gift we can give someone in pain is simply showing up.

>We Are Human Angels<

Authors

Awakening the Human Spirit

We are the authors of 'We Are Human Angels,' the book that has spread a new vision of the human experience and has been spontaneously translated into 14 languages by readers.

We hope our writing sparks something in you!

#JohnTravolta #HurricaneKatrina #HaitiEarthquake #HumanitarianAid #Inspiration

The crisis is not the truth of your life. It's a moment

This is a story about the four seconds that changed one man's life — and the message he has spent the last twenty-five years traveling the world to share. It's a story about surviving a suicide attempt, so it may be heavy for some readers. But it ends in hope, and in lives saved.

On September 25, 2000, Kevin Hines was nineteen years old and in the grip of a severe mental health crisis. He was living with bipolar disorder, and in that moment he was certain — the way the illness can make you certain — that his pain was permanent, and that there was no other way out. He went to the Golden Gate Bridge believing no one would stop him. Part of him, he later said, was hoping someone would just stop and ask if he was okay. No one did. And he jumped.

The fall takes about four seconds. And in the instant his hands left the rail, everything changed.

"Instant regret," he has said, over and over since. "Powerful. Overwhelming. What have I done? I don't want to die."

He hit the cold water of the bay, badly injured, and fought his way back to the surface. And then something moved beneath him — something large, circling, nudging him upward, again and again, keeping his head above the water. His first thought was terror: sharks. But it wasn't a shark. Witnesses on the bridge that day later described a sea lion, staying with him, holding him up, until the Coast Guard reached him and pulled him from the water.

He survived. Recovery took months and more than one surgery. And then Kevin Hines did something that may have taken even more courage than surviving: he started to talk about it. About the four seconds. About the terrible certainty that there was no way out — and the exact instant that certainty shattered, the moment his hands left the rail and he wished, with everything in him, that he could take it back.

He became a mental health advocate, a speaker, and an author, writing a book called Cracked, Not Broken. He has told his story in schools, hospitals, and auditoriums all over the world. And his central message is simple, and worth holding onto: that feeling of permanence — the certainty that things can never get better — is the crisis lying to you. The moment can pass. Feelings pass.

For more than two decades, he also fought for something concrete: a safety net beneath that bridge, one that could give a person in crisis the single thing those four seconds gave him — time. Time to change their mind. In January 2024, after years of delay and resistance, the nets were finally completed, running the length of the bridge. In their first full year, deaths there dropped dramatically. The bridge that nearly took his life now catches people before they fall. He calls it a physical manifestation of hope.

Today, Kevin is in his forties, married, and still traveling, still telling this story — because people write to him constantly to say it stopped them, mid-crisis, from doing what he did. He doesn't know the exact number of lives that has touched. But it isn't zero. And it isn't small.

His message to anyone in the dark is this: the crisis is not the truth of your life. It's a moment. And moments pass. He held on long enough to find out what was on the other side — and because he did, so have many others.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you are not alone. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Please reach out.

FINAL DESTINATION MANILA

At first, I was in a feeling of confusion and disbelief on how the return portion of the plane ticket that was a part of my scholarship award in 1967 could entitle me and my wife to fly round trip PRS/HKG/PRS?

In March 1975, I decided to go back to the Philippines. In theory, my return ticket to Manila was valid for me only. However, it was explained to me by the ticketing officer of the Air France office in Brussels that with the special promotion offer, he said that my return ticket could also buy me two round-trip PRS/HKG/PRS tickets. 

As my wife's ticket was only valid until Hong Kong, I had to book and pay for her the HKG/MLA/HKG flight that seemed still interesting to me because I wanted her so much as to see the Philippines and meet my family personally.

My older sister was too happy to welcome us at the airport upon our arrival and finally to meet my wife for the first time. Then, she accompanied us directly to our family house in Balik-Balik where my mother was impatiently waiting for us and meeting my wife in person with great delight.

We spent the first week mostly in Manila for her to discover and explore the city. The first day,  my sister accompanied us to meet relatives and friends. the second day, I showed her the famous sights where the tourists go, like the Intramuros, Rizal park and the Paco cemetery. I showed her the places I frequented when I was young, like the secondary school and the university where I studied.  The third day, I took her to the offices where I last worked before leaving for abroad, such as the UN agency and presented her to my former colleagues who were too delighted to meet her and make her acquaintance. 

Then, we proceeded to Makati where I took her to meet my former professor at the university who worked at the French consulate and last but not the least, I took her to the auditing office where I worked for a few months before I left to present her to my colleagues who thought I was joking when I told them without batting an eyelid that I'd go to France and to find myself a white foreign wife to marry. On the following days, my sister took us around to meet her colleagues at the convent and to show us their school in Tondo. 

On the eve of Palm Sunday, we went to Pantranco to take a trip to Baguio and stay overnight. When we passed through Calasiao, I pointed out the house where I was born, but we didn't stop because we had too little time to make a stopover. By the time we arrived in Baguio, we directly booked a bed in a hotel on the Session Road near the Cathedral. We took a rest and refreshed ourselves to tour the city and have a dinner in one of the restaurants at the public market. 

On Palm Sunday, we went to the Cathedrale to hear mass and went around the city before catching a bus for Manila. There wasn't much to go and see except for the lake in Burnham Park. We took the first bus to Dagupan to spend some time sunbathing at Bonoan beach. Incidentally, I bought a big bucket of fresh oysters. Finally, we arrived in Manila after 10 pm.

During the Easter week, we didn't go around too much but visited the churches and spent some afternoon in the Japanese garden at Rizal park. The following afternoon, we went to the Paco cemetery to visit Rizal's grave and to explore the area. 

One day, we were invited by my former Vietnamese colleague at the UN for an excursion to Tagaytay with his family. We went to see and admire the Taal volcano and its environment, then we bought some fruits like mangos and papaya from the local vendors who were lined up along the way.

The following day, we went to the Nayong Pilipino village to go around and explore the place and to watch a colorful performance of the Moro dance, as the main show. I was highly impressed because it was executed beautifully and well done professionally.

On the Holy Friday, my friend Alex came to accompany us to go and watch the local passion play complete with crosses and costumes and even with a chariot driven by a horse somewhere outside of the city. The weather was hot and there were foreign tourists also present. Although they were amateur performers, I think they could outperform the seasoned actors of Cecil B. De Mille.

On Easter Sunday, my sister and her colleagues from the convent came over to my mother's place to help prepare a party for her birthday. We had a sumptuous lunch and my mother enjoyed our company because Sara and I would be leaving for Hong Kong the next day. To be continued.

https://pablolayson.blogspot.com/2026/08/stopover-hong-kong.html

A Stark Contrast

August 30, 2026 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Readings for Today

Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Video “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Matthew 16:23 This scene likely unfolds in or near Caesarea Philippi, a Gentile region steeped in pagan worship. There, at the mouth of a cave long associated with the entrance to the netherworld—believed by some pagans to be the very gate of Hades—Jesus had just questioned His disciples: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” and then more directly, “But who do you say that I am?” (cf. Matthew 16:13–15). Peter, speaking with conviction on behalf of the Twelve, boldly proclaimed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus responded by declaring him “Peter,” the rock upon which He would build His Church, promising that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Just moments later, Jesus issues one of the strongest rebukes recorded in the Gospels: “Get behind me, Satan!” The same Peter who had just spoken divine truth now speaks human fear and shortsightedness. In trying to dissuade Jesus from His suffering and death, Peter unknowingly opposes the very mission of the Messiah. Jesus calls this mindset not merely a mistake, but a diabolical temptation—echoing the same temptation He faced in the desert, when satan sought to lure Him away from the Cross with promises of worldly glory. What a stark contrast. Peter goes from being the rock of faith to an obstacle in the Lord’s path. But why was Jesus so severe in His response? Because the stakes were eternal. The Cross is not optional. It is the means of salvation—not just for Jesus, but for all who would follow Him. To think otherwise, even with good intention, is to prefer human comfort over divine wisdom. Peter’s protest reflects a natural aversion to suffering, but Jesus exposes it for what it truly is: a stumbling block to the will of the Father. This dramatic Gospel scene is recorded for a reason. By calling Peter “Satan,” Jesus wanted to warn him, and us, of the real and ever-present danger of rejecting the way of the Cross. Like Peter, we can easily fall into the trap of wishful thinking and misguided compassion by saying about ourselves or those close to us, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen…” We are saying, in essence: “Lord, please make sure that neither I nor anyone I love ever has to suffer!” But such a prayer, though well-meaning, is clearly mistaken, and Jesus wants that point to be clearly understood. Peter was troubled because “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.” But all that Jesus revealed about His suffering was good—very good. Though His suffering was inflicted by the sins of others, His free and loving embrace of that suffering was the greatest act of love the world has ever known. Peter was blinded to this truth. He could not yet see beyond the horror of suffering to the divine good that would come through Jesus’ sacrificial embrace of it. Reflect today on Peter’s and Jesus’ words: “God forbid, Lord!” and “Get behind me, Satan!” In this exchange, Jesus is also speaking to each of us, saying, “Never run from the Cross!” We must never flee from a selfless and sacrificial embrace of suffering, even when that suffering is unjust. God can and will transform all freely embraced suffering into a means of His eternal glory and our sanctification. With our Lord, reject the evil one’s false empathy. Reject the lie that suffering is meaningless. Choose instead to lay down your life in love with Christ, and in doing so, you will rise with Him, victorious over every sin and diabolical lie, overcoming even the sufferings of this life through your free and faithful embrace. My compassionate Lord, Your firm rebuke of Peter was direct, powerful, and loving. Rather than offering false comfort or misleading empathy, You spoke a hard truth to awaken Peter—and all of us—to the spiritual necessity of the Cross. Grant me the grace, dear Lord, to say “Yes” to the suffering I must face. May I embrace it not with fear or resistance, but with a heart filled with Your love and unwavering courage. Jesus, I trust in You.