Twenty Fourth Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

Yesterday, we learned the concept of a Person when the professor mentioned the Blessed Trinity in passing. All Christians believe that there is only One God who reveals to us in three different Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The professor stressed that a human person is a very inadequate concept to understand a divine person. Yet, this is the best tool we have in hand to try to know the Trinity. All the time, we should be aware of this limitation.

So, what is a person? What are the characteristics of a person?
Firstly, a person has the ability to know his surrounding through perceptions. In knowing the objects around him, a person is able to realize that he is a knowing subject. He is aware of his own existence as a knowing subject.
Secondly, a person has the freedom to make moral decisions. In exercising this freedom, he is aware that he is a free subject.
Lasting, a person engages in relationships with other subjects, other persons. In these relations, he is aware that he is a loving subject.
These three characteristics define a human person. We make use of this limited concept to try to understand the three divine persons in God.

As is always the case, the above exposition is an ideal situation. In real life situations, a human person may not be able to live up fully his personhood. An old man suffering from Alzheimer's disease, people slipped into coma, schizophrenics and the like might not have any more self awareness. People suffering from compulsive obsessive disorders, drug addicts and the like are not free to make choices. There are also many lonely people living in a crowd. They fail to establish nourishing loving relationships with other people, probably because of some personality defects. Therefore, it is paramount for us to maintain a healthy body and a healthy personality in order to live up fully as a human person. The Torah teaches us to love our neighbours as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18). If we do not love ourselves, how can we love our neighbours?

Though it is important to hold on to our personhood, going to the extreme can backfire. This is the meaning behind the Greek myth of Narcissus. A healthy dose of self-love is essential for our growth. However, when our ego, rather than God, becomes the centre of our life, we are doomed to self-destruction like Narcissus. Jesus taught the same idea in the gospel reading today.

We are at the turning point of the gospel of St. Mark. Jesus was turning towards Jerusalem to fulfil his Messianic mission. On his way, he did an opinion poll and asked his disciples what the common people thought about him. John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets were the answers. Then, Jesus hit the eye of the bull. He asked them who they thought he was. Peter spoke up and declared that Jesus was the Messiah (Mark 8:27-30). So, Jesus revealed to them the Messianic plan. The Messiah would be rejected, killed and on the third day he would rise to life again. This plan was totally unacceptable to the apostles. They had given up everything to follow Jesus. How would they expect a nil return on all their investments? Peter tried to persuade Jesus to give up his plan. In return, Peter was scolded in front of all other apostles.
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men." (Mark 8:33)
Jesus was right. Peter and all the others had not yet transcended the human level. They were still thinking of keeping the integrity of their selves because no sensible man would seek his own death. At that stage, they were not prepared to accept God's plan. Indeed, without God's grace, who can? The teaching was too hard, too difficult for them.

Dear Lord, we need Your grace to help us transcend. Have mercy on us, on our weaknesses. Grant us Your saving grace so that we may live and grow. Amen.