Perhaps you have heard me speak about the physical and spiritual aspects of the number three. I believe that it gives an important perspective into the one world that we all live in, that is both physical and spiritual. The 1-2-3 of our one world that is physical can be described as:1.The Beginning, 2. The Middle, and 3.The End. That probably sums up a classic way of looking at a lot of things, such as a sports season, a school year, a play or even a song. Rock N’ Roll songs frequently have what is called the Middle 8 referring to a tempo or melodic change and/or a bridge following the second chorus leading to the final chorus. Notice the important threes in life: The Trinity; three elements of the Paschal Mystery (Suffering, Death and Resurrection); a hat trick in hockey (three goals by one player); the Triple Crown (three wins in horse racing); three strikes in baseball statistics; three point play or shot etc. (Sorry that I’m heavy on sports analogies!)
The 1-2-3 in our world that is spiritual can be described as: 1. The Beginning (Creation); 2. The Next Step (Covenant); and 3.The Eternal (Christ). Notice the assignment of three words beginning with C to help you remember the spiritual depth of the one world that we live in and share.
God began everything in CREATION. God then reached out a hand and made a COVENANT with all of humanity as the Jewish people journeyed to a better way of life in the desert. Jesus CHRIST fulfills that covenant in an eternal way. In case you forget, listen intently at Mass when the priest says the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “Take this all of you and drink from it, this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the NEW and ETERNAL Covenant.
The spiritual covenant that God fulfills with us in Jesus Christ is both NEW and ETERNAL at the same time. This 1-2-3 spiritual progression is not limited to a chronology of events. It can expand our spiritual and religious imagination to reflect and pray differently.
This week’s Gospel gives us an example and in it there are three crucial issues that build on one another. The beginning is the question Jesus puts to the disciples, and just as importantly to us – “Who do people say that I am?” What does our world say about Jesus Christ these days? How is he identified? Who is he to today’s world?
The next step is the question for all of us, “Who do you say that I am?” This next step is much more personal. How do we describe Jesus to others? Who is Jesus to you? Peter responds, “You are the Christ.” There is little acknowledgement about the importance of Peter’s insight/answer according to Mark as there is in the other Gospels. Jesus goes on to explain that He must suffer and die and Peter rebukes him. In other words, he challenges the idea. He speaks as a protector of his friend. He doesn’t want to lose Jesus to death.
The third phase, or eternal or lasting part of the spiritual progression, in this passage is to think like God. Jesus connects Peters rebuke with pure evil and returns the admonition with, ”Get behind me Satan.“ So what does it mean to think like God? In this case it is a reminder that Jesus Christ was sent by God to suffer, die and rise from the dead. That is what we call the Paschal Mystery that is, in fact, a difficult pattern to accept because it involves two challenging things: suffering and death. Thinking like God invites us to look at those two challenges (suffering and death) through the lens of faith that says sometimes it is ONLY through suffering and dying that we can get to new life. It is a figurative pattern that we experience on a regular basis that encourages us to be led to the new life of the Resurrection. Peter and all of us sometimes find it extremely difficult to hold out hope for the new life when we are in the midst of suffering and death.
Using the third spiritual component, the eternal, we are invited to reflect on what lasts in life. We are challenged to see that life goes on even beyond our suffering and death, or that of our larger family, community or the world.
Try prayerfully reflecting on literally anything in your life through the 1-2-3 of the Beginning, the Next Step and the Eternal. Try looking at your professional career, your marriage, your family life, your educational endeavors, your health, your… through this lens and not simply the beginning, middle and end of them.
Please come to Fall Fest following the 11:00am Mass this Sunday for loads of Family Fun lasting until 4:00 pm. Next Saturday following 5:00pm Mass we host Hops on the Vine with lots of food, drink and entertainment. This year’s theme is “The Road to Tuscany.” Tickets are ONLY $35. Information is in this bulletin and the Narthex. See you there!!