Dear brother and sister! On last Sunday we could see Peter, who became a rock on which Jesus was built the Church. After Peter said that Jesus is the Christ, the living Son of God, we could hear the words of Jesus to Peter: “Simon son of Jonah you are a happy man! And I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.” But just after Jesus said to Peter completely different words – very harsh words, which we can hear today: “Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s”. WHY JESUS SAID THIS WORDS TO PETER WHO IS THE ROCK ON WHICH HE WANTS BUILD THE CHURCH? ...

I think the answer is because Peter wanted to be more clever than Jesus. He thought humanly, he didn’t think like God..

While ago he known that Jesus is God, but now he doesn’t see this, he forgot very quickly what God revealed him about Jesus.

This announcement of the Passion, this way the salvation of the world wasn’t convenient for Peter. He had his idea how Jesus can save the world. And therefore he heard these words: “Get behind me Satan!”

What about us?

We must remember the Gospel is not only about Apostles, about St. Peter – the Gospel is about us too.

Sometimes we are like Peter – we want be clever than God. We try make laws which are not compatible with God’s commandments.

But this is no good path. This path leads not to God, but this path leads us to Evil. Today Jesus said it to Peter very clearly:

“You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s”.

We very often forget the things of God are the most important. They certainly are more important than human things. When we forget about this or when we want be clever then God, we are against Jesus and we become the friends of Satan.

Why are we doing this? Because this is more convenient for us. It is simpler path of our lives.

But we must remember we need a lot of effort to achieve something valuable.

Is it worth taking this effort? – Everybody have to get answer to this question ourselves.

But this is the only way to God. There is no other one. Jesus said:

“If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lost it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

We have to take up our crosses. And then we can follow Jesus. We can’t follow Jesus without our crosses.

It is one story about one men who carried his cross. This cross was very heavy and uncomfortable for him. But he knew if he wants to come to heaven he has to carry his cross. And he want and carry his cross throughout his life like other people. One time he got the idea to cut the cross. And he did it. Now he could go faster than other people and the cross wasn’t heavy and uncomfortable. After some time he came to precipice and he couldn’t cross this precipice. Other people, who walked more slowly, came to the same place. They laid their crosses over the precipice and they crossed after the crosses on the other side. Of course this man could not do the same because his cross was too short.

Every of us have to takes up his cross and follows Jesus. The cross is a condition of being with Jesus. The cross is like a bridge between our lives and the kingdom of heaven. Sometimes our cross is heavy or uncomfortable and we can think the cross is unnecessary in our lives. But we must remember if our lives are more convenient or simpler does not mean that it is better. Often it is quite different. Why do we have carry our crosses? I don’t know. But God knows. And he is wiser than me, he is wiser then you.

Thus it is worth trust him

Let us pray today for power needed to carry the cross. May Almighty God help us to understand that his ways are better than our.