24th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Call to worship
Though Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, he does not understand why Jesus must suffer, die and rise again. Jesus calls us all in personal and intimate ways. If we acknowledge that he is the Christ, then we must follow him by taking up our cross and serving others.
- To the point: Peter recoils at Jesus’ revelation that as “the Christ” he must “suffer greatly … be rejected … be killed and rise after three days.” Peter is so aghast at Jesus’ words about suffering and death that he fails to hear the most important part of the revelation about who Jesus is and what he is to accomplish. He fails to grasp that through death Jesus will be raised to new life. Hearing Jesus’ teaching about taking up his cross to follow him can cause us similarly to recoil as did Peter. But we live on the other side of the resurrection. We know that death brings risen life. This assurance of new life is what gives us the courage to “take up our cross, and follow” Jesus.
- Connecting the Gospel to the first reading: The resoluteness of the Suffering Servant not to turn back no matter what suffering must be faced is the same resoluteness Jesus ‘ shows in his choice to face suffering and death so that all may have life.
- Connecting the Gospel to our experience: The resoluteness of the Suffering Servant not to turn back no matter what suffering must be faced is the same resoluteness Jesus ‘ shows in his choice to face suffering and death so that all may have life.
Centering prayers
The Gospel
(Mark 8:27-35)
“But who do you say that I am?”
Jesus, you ask us over and over,
“Who do you say that I am?”
Show us who you are.
In every joy, take our hands.
In every sorrow, take our hands.
Then we will know you well,
love you well.
Raising up your cross will not be so hard
if you are there with us, holding our hands.
The First Reading
(Isaiah 50:5-9a)
He set his face like flint and gave his back to those who beat him.
Christ so loved the world
that he set his face like flint and
gave his back to those who beat him.
Oh Christ, you are love,
which gets its meaning from you.
Set our faces too, like flint,
toward that love.
The Second Reading
(James 2:14-18)
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm,
and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities
of the body, what good is it?
O God, open our eyes, as you did the eyes
of the apostle James, of Vincent de Paul,
of Dorothy Day.
Open our ears and let the cry of the poor
come in all the way.
Copyright © 2021, Anne M. Osdieck
Music for reflection