Ebanghelyo: Marcos 8:27-35
At pumunta si Jesus kasama ang kanyang mga alagad sa mga nayon ng Cesarea ni Filipo. At habang nasa daa’y tinanong niya ang kanyang mga alagad: “Sino raw ako ayon sa mga tao?” Sumagot sila: “May nagsasabing si Juan Bautista ka; may iba pang nagsasabing si Elias ka o isa sa mga propeta kaya.”
At tinanong niya sila: “Ngunit ano naman ang sinasabi ninyo kung sino ako?” At sumagot si Pedro: “Ikaw ang Mesiyas.” At inutusan niya sila na huwag sabihin kaninuman ang tungkol sa kanya.
At sinimulan niyang ituro sa kanila na kailangang magtiis ng mara Mikeas ang Anak ng Tao. Itatakwil nga siya ng mga Matatanda ng bayan, ng mga punong-pari at ng mga guro ng Batas. Papatayin siya at muling babangonpagkatapos ng tatlong araw. At buongtapang siyang nagsalita. Dinala naman siya ni Pedro sa isang tabi at sinimulan siyang pagsabihan. Ngunit pagtalikod ni Jesus, nakita niya na naroon din ang kanyang mga alagad. Kaya pinagsabihan niya si Pedro: “Sa likod ko, Satanas! Hindi sa Diyos galing ang iniisip mo kundi mula sa tao.”
At tinawag ni Jesus ang kanyang mga alagad pati ang mga tao, at sinabi: “Kung may gustong sumunod sa akin, itakwil ang kanyang sarili at kunin ang kanyang krus para sumunod sa akin. Sapagkat ang naghahangad na magligtas ng kanyang sarili ay mawawalan nito, at ang mawawalan ng sarili alangalang sa akin at sa ebanghelyo ang magliligtas nito.
Pagninilay
In Cesarea Philipi, northeast of Palestine, Jesus asks his disciples: “Sino raw ako ayon sa mga tao?” Jesus has been moving around, teaching, healing, doing miracles, eating with sinners and conversing with pharisees and leaders. People must have been commenting about his works, about his words, about his actions. Jesus is curious of how people knew (alam) him. Truly some people must have known (alam) him as John the Baptist who may have a strong following as a prophet; some may have known him as Elijah who was believed to be taken to heaven alive; or one of the prophets who has to come. This reveals that people are waiting for prophetic figure or of some sort to bring God’s intervention in human history again. These answers seem to be borne out of some expectations of a prophetic figure to come but not answers borne out of a deeper encounter. Jesus poses the question again. This time addressed to his disciples who have been journeying with him. He got an answer with a certain degree of conviction: “Ikaw ang Mesiyas.” This is how the disciples (Peter, at east) knew (kilala) him. This answer is borne out of an encounter; not merely of knowledge. Yet, this is not yet complete faith. In fact, after this Jesus predicts his passion death resurrection, and Peter reacted in a totally off-tangent way prompting Jesus to say: “Sa likod ko, Satanas! Hindi sa Diyos galing ang iniisip mo kundi mula sa tao.” Peter went on to deny and abandon Jesus. But Peter has recovered; he thus, moved to a higher level of knowing Jesus: love. This is faith: “Panginoon, ikaw ang nakaaalam ng lahat; alam mong iniibig kita” (Jn. 21:15, 16, 17). After this, Jesus told him: “Sumunod ka sa akin!” (Jn. 21:19). Faith is a loving and obedient knowing of God.
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