22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday, Peter made his bold declaration of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Yet Peter still did not fully understand what that declaration meant. When Jesus revealed that he must suffer, die, and be raised, Peter tried to lead Jesus away from the cross.

Jesus responded with startling force: “Get behind me, Satan!” These strong words, I am sure, got Peter’s attention. Peter had forgotten his place. A disciple belongs behind the Master. Peter was called to follow Jesus, not to tell Jesus where he should go. We can easily make the same mistake. We proclaim Jesus as Lord, but then ask him to follow our plans, approve our desires, and lead us only along comfortable roads. Jesus reminds us that our place is behind him. Wherever he leads, we follow.

Now following Jesus will always lead us to the cross. The cross is where we die so that we may be born again. It is where we go down with Christ so that we may rise with him. This dying and rising is not only something that happens at the end of our lives. It is the daily rhythm of discipleship. Life gifts us countless opportunities to die...to pride, control, resentment, and self-protection...so that the life of Christ grow within us and give life to those around us.

But how can we possibly follow Jesus so completely? Jeremiah gives us the answer: “You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped.” In other words, “You seduced me. You captured my heart. And I wanted you to seduce me so bad.” Jeremiah has encountered God so deeply that God’s word has become a fire burning within him. He can no longer imagine living for anything else. This is where missionary discipleship begins. Before we ever choose Christ, he has first sought us, loved us, captivated our hearts, and invited us to "come and see" his way of life.

I pray that this new school year may be a year for each of us to recognize how much He has loved us first and recognize how He seduces us daily. May it be a year where we can boldly proclaim who he is, take our place behind him, die with him each day, and rise with him to bring his life to the world.

Thibault Vincent
Drexel Campus Minister