“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
matthew 17:22-23
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”
And they were overwhelmed with grief.
Reflection
Jesus tells his disciples that the Son of Man will be killed and raised on the third day. At this, they are overwhelmed with grief. As they continue to make their way to Capernaum, the temple tax collectors approach Peter and ask if Jesus pays the temple tax, which he does. Jesus then asks Peter from whom kings take tolls or census tax, and he replies that it is taken from foreigners; therefore, the subjects are exempt. In order not to give offense to the temple tax collectors, Jesus then instructs Peter to catch a fish, and inside its mouth he will find a coin to pay for both their tax.
Upon hearing what will happen to Jesus, his disciples become overwhelmed. They are filled with grief. Because we already know what happened to Jesus, we might not always have that same reaction. We can intellectually understand that Jesus was killed and raised from the dead, but because it happened long ago, that overwhelming grief might not come naturally.
We should rejoice that the Lord was raised from the dead, and at the same time, have proper distress and grief at his death. When we pray, we should often meditate on his Passion, reflecting upon its gravity. Once we begin to have a deeper understanding of what Jesus did for us and what occurred, we can grow in relationship with him. How can you incorporate Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection into your daily life?
Saint of the Day
St. Clare: 1194 – 1253
“Let the love you have in your hearts be shown outwardly in your deeds.”
Testament of St. Clare
The Healing Word 