‘Get behind me, Satan!’

Today’s readings remind us that whilst we may find ourselves caught between the values of God’s kingdom and those of the world around us, we will always have the love of God to protect and uphold us.

Jeremiah laments that answering God’s call has led to him being mocked and derided (First Reading). Yet despite this, he can still sense a burning desire to speak God’s words.

The Psalmist, wandering in the desert, thirsts for God’s presence, just as he thirsts for water. Recognising the Lord’s loving mercy, he is able to raise his hands in praise and thanksgiving.

St Paul (Second Reading) reminds the Romans that the life we take on through baptism becomes the inspiration for how we live. Paul encourages them to resist the temptation to conform to the demands of the world as they seek to respond to God.

In the Gospel, we see Peter’s struggle to embrace fully the reality of Jesus’s Way. Soon after being named ‘the rock’ on which the Church will be built, Peter is still holding on to the values of the world, and struggling to accept what Jesus tells him about the suffering that lies ahead.

This week we pray for those taking up their cross in the service of Christ and his Church around the world. We ask the Lord to keep them safe ‘in the shadow of his wings’.