Jesus asks us to follow him even amidst our fears and hesitations. Fr. Simon Zachary, SJ breaks open Jesus’s invitation to all of us in light of St. Peter. Based on the readings for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time.
Oh, St. Peter. A rock, but on rocky ground? I love Peter—he’s Jesus’s rock, our Church’s first pope, & a martyr. But honestly, he’s also got some relatable flaws.
In Matthew 16, Peter rejects Jesus’s cross. He refuses to believe that Jesus will be put to death. Peter really wants safety, not sacrifice. Jesus fires back, asking him—and us—to step up and follow. He asks: “What profit is it to gain the whole world and forfeit your life?”
Those words shook St. Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits. They drove him to a different kind of cross, to cross oceans. He became one of the Church’s great missionaries.
Success isn’t bad, but it becomes a trap if it replaces God. Don’t be the Peter who shrinks from pain. Let’s stop chasing what fades. Let’s pick up our crosses, follow Jesus, and live.