Some Christians think that being religious should improve their spirits, bodily health and even good fortune. Some of us have had moments of spiritual clarity and growth. And I am sure that we too felt pretty good about ourselves during those moments. But we also know that life doesn't leave us feeling that way for long. Soon those wonderful spiritual insights will be tested by the day to day experiences that we all share in living out our lives. Even the most devout and active Christians know that being a Christian is never easy for very long.
We can’t reserve spirituality or discipleship to just those moments when we feel uplifted. We are all on a journey of faith. The question we ask today, in the light of the scriptural readings, concerns the health of our spiritual life. Our lives can be directed or misdirected by the condition of our spirit. Our spiritual life either holds us together or is the cause of chaos and misdirection. It can either make us see the total picture more clearly with the eyes of faith or see only what we want to see.
Which takes us to today's gospel. As story unfolds, there is a sudden turnaround in the relationship between Jesus and Peter. Peter was feeling pretty good about himself after just having been called "Blessed." And he must have been taken quite aback with Jesus' sudden change of mood. Jesus turns on Peter, calls him Satan and chases him away.
Peter professes Jesus as the Messiah, but just doesn't understand that He must continue his mission which will cause Him suffering and death when they arrive in Jerusalem. Peter wants to remain in the moment. He doesn't want to hear about the cross and death.
Jesus spells that out quite clearly for all of his disciples to hear: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny oneself, take up [his/her] cross and follow me." There's nothing wrong with feeling good about ourselves. But we must try to understand the bigger picture and constantly remind ourselves of the cross, as well.
Spiritual clarity is meaningless if it does not flow from an upright heart which can see and accept more than just "the moment."
We cannot take the cross out of our spirituality. We can't take it out of our daily consciousness either. We may not suffer on the same kind of cross as Jesus or suffer death as have so many who have followed him because of their faith. But still, Jesus says that we must each take up our own cross and follow him - and the cross will cost us.
The grace of our Gospel today is to awaken our hearts from their distractions and to stir us to examine our spiritual lives more fully. Like Peter, we cannot let ourselves get in the way.
