You are the Holy One of God

Hag. 1:15-2:9, Lk. 9:18-22. The role of the Messiah has been a source of reassurance and also confusion for people over the past millennia. In today's first reading, Haggai prophesies that the future glory of the Temple will be greater than the former, not just because it is being rebuilt, but because the Messiah will come to the Temple. As the exiles return to Jerusalem, they are disillusioned at the Temple being in ruin. A few of the elders can remember the former, glorious Temple. They wonder if the Temple will ever be able to be as magnificent as it had been. The prophet Haggai tells the king, the high priest and the people, that God will not only restore the Temple to its previous, honorable state, but will make it better. This will come about not just with the adornment of the building with silver and gold, but by the renewal of the promise by God to send the Messiah, the Anointed One.

Like the words of Haggai, the Psalmist is meant to be a source of hope to those who feel burdened and who need some sort of edification. The Psalmist is besieged by faithless enemies. The only source of encouragement and uplifting is the Lord, coming into the presence of God in the Temple brings gladness and joy. In today's Gospel, Peter identifies Jesus as the Anointed One of God, when Jesus questions His disciples about what people are saying about Him. They respond that some think He is John the Baptist resurrected, or a prophet. Jesus then made it clear that in order to fulfil His Messianic ministry, He had to suffer, die and rise again. Peter’s objection to this showed that the apostles still did not understand the true nature of the Messiah’s work. The suggestion that Jesus should turn back from the Cross was yet another temptation by Satan. It was an attempt to persuade Him to gain His Kingdom by some way other than death, so that He might fail in His Messianic mission (Mt. 4:8-10, 16:21-23).

May the Lord help us to profess our faith diligently, not only with words, but also by our every action! Amen!! Good morning and have a great day!!!