Dear parishioners & visitors,

"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." This is one of my favorite verses of Scripture and words spoken by Jesus. Maybe it is because I can see Jesus saying those words sternly to me from time to time. Maybe it is because it is Jesus giving Peter a wake-up call to ‘get with the program’ so to speak. We just heard Peter tell Jesus in last week’s Gospel, “You are the Christ,” affirming his belief in Jesus. But now we see how quickly Peter falters. Today’s Gospel is a good wake-up call for all of us to hear. It is a reminder of our need to continually assess how we are following Christ in our daily lives. I share with you this this Prayer for Courage to follow Christ Daily:

Lord Jesus, I want to follow You—not just in words, but in my daily life. Give me the courage to follow Christ even when the path is hard. Help me to take up my cross daily, laying down comfort and pride so I can walk in obedience. Teach me what true daily discipleship means. When fear tries to silence my faith, give me boldness to stand firm. When the world pulls me toward compromise, strengthen my resolve to honor You. I choose to deny myself and trust in Your ways, knowing that You will give me the power to walk in truth. I surrender my will to Yours. Let my life reflect what it means to truly follow Jesus daily. In Your holy name, Amen.

Yours in Christ,

Father Dan