A Homily for Friday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Friday, September 26, 2025
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 8:00 Mass
Haggai 2:1-9; Psalm 43:1, 2, 3, 4; Luke 9:18-22
Audio Recording
Today’s Gospel begins with a moment of prayerful intimacy: Jesus, alone with his disciples, asks them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” Their answers swirl with rumors: John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets of old. But then comes the personal question: “Who do YOU say that I am?” Peter, speaking for the group, makes the bold confession: “The Christ of God.”
Peter’s confession is true — but it is incomplete. Immediately Luke tells us that Jesus “rebuked them.” At first, that word sounds like a scolding, as if Jesus was upset. But in the Gospel context, this “rebuke” is not a reprimand but a forceful command — a strict order to keep silent.
Jesus charges them not to tell anyone yet, not because Peter was wrong, but because the truth was not yet fully revealed as to what it meant that He was the Messiah. If the crowds heard the word “Messiah” now, they would imagine the wrong kind of savior.
To see why, we need to recall the Jewish expectations of the Messiah in that era. By the time of Jesus, the people longed for God to raise up a deliverer. They expected a son of David, a king who would restore Israel’s independence, overthrow foreign oppressors, renew temple worship, and usher in an age of justice and peace. Some even spoke of two messiahs — a PRIESTLY one to purify worship and a KINGLY one to rule the nations. Others expected a PROPHET like Moses or the return of Elijah.
In short, the word “Messiah” carried heavy political and nationalistic hopes. If the disciples proclaimed Jesus as Messiah at this moment, the people would misunderstand him. They might try to crown him king by force or follow him for earthly power. But Jesus is not that kind of Messiah. He was not here to wield the sword, but to embrace the cross.
And so he tells them plainly: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly, be rejected, be killed, and on the third day be raised.” His throne will not be in Jerusalem’s palace but on Calvary’s hill. His crown will not be of gold, but of thorns. His victory will come not through violence but through self-offering.
This is the heart of the “Messianic Secret.” Jesus silences his disciples because only after his passion, death, and resurrection will the title “Messiah” be understood correctly. Only then will the world know that the Christ is not a conquering general but the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
What does this mean for us? It reminds us that we, too, must let Jesus define who he is, instead of forcing him into the mold of our expectations. Sometimes we want a Messiah who fixes our problems instantly or shields us from every struggle. But the true Christ is the one who meets us in our suffering, carries us through trials, and leads us — through the cross — into resurrection life.
So today, when Jesus asks us, “Who do you say that I am?” may we answer with Peter: “You are the Christ of God.” And may we also accept his “rebuke” — his command to pick up our cross and follow him as he truly is: the Christ who suffers, dies, and rises, that we too may share in his glory. Amen?
God bless you.