Grant peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you, to confirm the truthfulness of your prophets; hear the prayers of your servant and your people.

The liturgy inspires us to establish a personal relationship with Jesus, identifying him and bearing witness to him as the center of our lives. In his presence, we trust that he hears the cry of our prayer, when we call upon him with a sincere heart. Gathered to celebrate the Word and the Eucharist, we are invited to respond to the Lord’s calls and follow him through a living and active faith. First Reading: Isaiah 50:5-9 Let us open our ears and hearts to receive the Word of the Lord. Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, whom we are ready to follow, will speak to us and nourish in us the faith that translates into practical life. A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah – 5The Lord has opened my ears; I did not resist him or turn back. 6 I offered my back to be beaten, my cheeks to be pulled out; I did not turn away from slaps and spitting. 7 But the Lord God is my helper, so I have not been discouraged, I have kept my face as straight as flint, because I know that I will not be put to shame. 8 He who justifies me is at my side; will anyone object to me? Let us see. Who is my adversary? Let him come near. 9 Yes, the Lord God is my helper; who is he who will condemn me? – The word of the Lord. Responsorial Psalm: 114(115) I will walk before God, / with him in the land of the living. 1. I love the Lord, for he hears / my cry for help. / He inclined his ear to me, / on the day I called to him. – R. 2. The cords of death entangled me, † the snares of the pit constricted me; / anguish and sorrow came upon me. / Then I called to the Lord: / “Save my life, O Lord!” – R. 3. The Lord is righteous and merciful, / our God is merciful. / The Lord is the defender of the humble; / I was oppressed, and he saved me. – R. 4. He has rescued my life from death; † he has wiped away the tears from my eyes, / and freed my feet from stumbling. / I will walk before God, / with him in the land of the living. – R. Second Reading: James 2:14-18 A reading from the letter of Saint James – 14My brothers, what good is it if someone claims to have faith but does not put it into practice? Would faith then be able to save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister has no clothing or daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed,” and “Eat as you please,” without giving them what is needed for the body, what good is that? 17So faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. 18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have deeds. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” – The Word of the Lord. Gospel: Mark 8:27-35 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. I boast of nothing except the cross of Christ; / I see the world nailed to the cross, / and I look to the world from the cross (Gal 6:14). – R. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark – At that time, 27Jesus went with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus strictly ordered them to tell anyone about him. 31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes; he must be killed, and after three days be raised. 32 He said this openly. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him. 33 Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan,” he said. “You do not think as God does, but as men do.” 34Then he called the crowd with his disciples and said, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” – Word of salvation. Reflection: Jesus wants to know what the people, especially the disciples, think about him. Peter answers: “You are the Messiah.” Jesus forbids them from spreading this information, in order to protect himself from the authorities and prevent his mission from being misinterpreted. For, according to the mentality of the time, the Messiah would come with the power to expel the foreign occupiers and triumphantly establish the Kingdom. A shock to the government! Jesus corrects Peter’s answer: the Messiah will be a victim of the leaders and will die a tragic death. Peter disagrees. Jesus calls him Satan, that is, an adversary, contrary to God’s plan. The true Messiah identifies with the suffering Servant of Isaiah (Isaiah 53: through passion, to glory). Followers of Jesus must be aware of this path that the Messiah is taking.