12th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

                                12th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

      Readings: Zechariah 12:10‑11  Galatians 3:26‑29  Luke 9:18‑24

            In this Sunday’s gospel, we hear Luke's account of  Jesus' first prediction of his passion and resurrection at the close of the Galilean ministry.  For the next twenty weeks we will be following Luke's account of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and learning the demands of Christian discipleship.  This Sunday we hear the central paradox of our Christian faith: in order to save our lives we must, in imitation of Jesus, lose them.  Let each of us begin this journey to the cross and new life with the poignant cry of the responsorial psalm: "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God" (Ps 63).
            The selection from the Book of Zechariah introduces the themes of suffering and repentance that will be reiterated by Jesus in the Gospel reading.  This section of Zechariah has repeated oracles announcing the future redemption of Judah and Jerusalem from its traditional enemies (12:1‑9).  But the crucial element of renewal will be the "spirit of grace and petition" which the Lord "will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem."  The occasion for the people's repentance from sin will be their gazing upon a mysterious figure "whom they have thrust through," their mourning "for him as one mourns for an only son," and their grieving "over him as one grieves over a first‑born."  The evangelist John applies these words to the crucified Jesus whose side was pierced with a lance (Jn 19:37).  We who aspire to follow Jesus in his journey to Jerusalem need to be moved by the same spirit of repentance.
            In the Galatians reading Paul is arguing that salvation for both Jews and Gentiles comes not through obedience to the Jewish Torah, but through faith in the death and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus.  This Sunday's reading is the conclusion of a long argument that the true heirs to the promises of salvation made to Abraham are not those who are circumcised or who follow the prescriptions of the Torah, but those who have identified themselves with the crucified Jesus through baptism.  According to Paul, Jesus' saving death has obliterated all the divisive social distinctions of his time.     
                        There does not exist among you Jew or Greek,
                        slave or free, male or female.  All are one
                        in Christ Jesus.  Furthermore, if you belong to
                        Christ you are the descendants of Abraham,
                        which means you inherit all that was promised.  (3:28‑29)
            The gospel reading follows directly from last Sunday's  account of the return of the Twelve and the Feeding of the Five Thousand (9:10‑17).  It is composed of three parts: the dialogue between Jesus and Peter about Jesus' identity; Jesus' announcement of his suffering, rejection, death and resurrection; and his teaching on the conditions of discipleship.

            Throughout chapter nine, Luke focuses on two closely related questions: the role of the Twelve and Jesus' identity.  At the beginning of the chapter Jesus gives the Twelve a share in his ministry in overpowering demons and disease and in proclaiming the kingdom of God in the villages of Galilee.  In the feeding of the five thousand, he instructs the apostles in how they are to satisfy the needs of the crowd through the Eucharist.  In the midst of these stories Luke gives Herod Antipas' reaction to Jesus.
                         Some were saying, "John has been raised
                        from the dead"; others were saying, "Elijah has
                        appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets
                        has arisen."  But Herod said, "John I beheaded.
                        Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"  (9:7‑9)
            Now Jesus introduces his disciples to a whole new dimension of his own identity and of their mission.  While at prayer in solitude, Jesus asks them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”  They give the same opinions that Herod had heard, and, when Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter responds, “The Messiah of God.”  But Jesus rebukes the disciples and directs them “not to tell this to anyone.”  Instead, he tells them that “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”  And immediately Jesus adds, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”   Although the disciples do not yet comprehend this feature of their own mission in imitation of  Jesus (see 9:45), he is preparing them for the greatest lesson of  all: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (9:24).