Our willingness to suffer for a cause, for something we are deeply committed to is a testament to the strength and dedication of our belief. St. Paul says that he… “is being poured our like a libation”. With this expression St. Paul is saying that he has done all he could possibly do to spread the word about the kingdom of God and make disciples of all nations. What a difference between the Paul who stood by and watched Stephen being stoned to death and the Paul who pours himself out on behalf of Christ as one of His first missionaries. Paul was changed man because of his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus.
Change is difficult for most of us. The stories of St. Peter and St. Paul we hear today reflect the experiences of men who were changed to the core by their personal relationship with Christ.
St. Matthew records that Peter recognized Jesus as, “the Christ, the son of the living God” and he experienced Christ for the reality of whom He is, the“Word Made Flesh”. There is a difference in knowing some things about someone and actually knowing that person in a personal and intimate way. In today’s gospel, Peter receives a gift from God that enables him to “see and understand” who Jesus really is, and this insight changes him forever.
Peter’s experience can be ours if we truly desire it. The Father will give us the gift to know Christ personally if we just ask Him for it. This most precious gift enables us to experience Christ in a deeper and more profound way. It calls us into a love affair with Him such that we desire to know all we can about Him and seek to do everything within our power to please Him. This in turn allows us to be conformed into the person of Christ. This is what St. Paul meant when he wrote these words to the Galatians: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. This become possible only by keeping our “eyes on the prize” and knowing that the prize we seek in this life is to become more Christ-like in all our thoughts, words, and actions. Then we too, like St. Paul, will one day claim the crown of righteousness that awaits us.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
OTHER RESOURCES
Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.
Recommended Reading: Do Not Judge Anyone” Desert Wisdom for a Polarized World by Fr. Isaac Slater, O.C.S.O. Too often Christianity has been hijacked by the superego and the good news of grace has been compromised by fear and the rationalization of violence. In “Do Not Judge Anyone” Cistercian monk Isaac Slater reflects on the desert fathers’ teachings and practice of not judging with a focus on contemporary life. Interweaving sources from East and West, ancient and modern, Slater finds profound points of contact between the first monks and figures like Dostoevsky and Simone Weil, and in the teaching and witness of Pope Francis. “Do Not Judge Anyone” offers a radical, refreshing, and deeply hopeful vision of the gospel for the twenty-first century.
Recommended YouTube Video: Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life – Period 2 - Here is Fr. Rohr’s presentation on the Second Half of Life
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