Por Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB

Our scriptures this 24th Sunday B, are a reminder of how we Christians ought to live. The title of an old guide, The Imitation of Christ, 1414, best sums up our task. Now, though far away from Passion Tide, each Sunday reading refers to the Suffering Savior. While meditating on how we Christians should live, it is good that we have a reminder of the Passion. Troubles are a big part of life.

Jesus Christ, Suffering Servant, is portrayed for us by Isaiah. It is our initial reminder to serve God amid the hardships of life. Jesus did not rebel or turn His back on His Father’s plan for human salvation. Nor should we turn away from His plan for us. Jesus accepted a bloody scourging. He, the Mighty One, put up with rude mockery as they tugged His beard, struck Him, and spit on Him. All this Jesus took, as He asks us to take all our hardships in life, with His attitude as identified by the prophet Isaiah in God’s Servant, “See, the Lord GOD is my help.” Thus, we seek to trust in the Lord together with Jesus.

The Psalm today advises walking safely before the Lord without sin, despite ‘distress and sorrow,’ still trusting and able to pray, “O LORD, save my life!”  At the Alleluia verse, we plea for help through the Cross, “through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.”  Our peace lies in bearing our cross in company with Jesus. As for St. James, he does not seek empty claims of faith but demands that we show our faith by works of love for one another, our mark as Christians.

St. Mark in the Gospel tells of a critical time for Jesus. He urged belief in Himself as of divine origin coming from the Father. With one breath, Peter confessed Him to be the Christ, the Messiah. With another, he attempted to rebuke Jesus for saying that He must suffer greatly. Jesus called him an instrument of Satan! For Jesus was working out through His Passion God’s plan for our salvation. His obedience to the Father was total.

Finally, Jesus asked us to show our belief in Him and our love by taking up our own cross. In this way, we accept God’s plan for our salvation, difficult as it might sometimes be, and we live in imitation of Christ, in communion with Him that lasts unto eternal life in heaven.