“What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” Jesus does not pull any punches with Peter in today’s Gospel. It is a helpful reminder to both Peter and us as to where our focus should be. It is so tempting in our Christian journey to be distracted by others. We can become jealous when we notice someone has more than we do, or we can become angry when others are not doing as much as we are. Regardless of the reasons, the outcome is the same: our focus is not on Christ. Jesus’ simple and blunt reminder helps to get us back on track. Worrying about someone else’s business is not of our concern; our only job is to follow Jesus, which is a full-time effort.
As you enter into this day, whom do you need to stop comparing yourself to? What other concerns are distracting you from following Jesus?
Lord we need your strength to not be distracted by others as we do our best to follow your Son. Help us to stay focus on you this day.
—Br. Pat Douglas, S.J, is Vocation Promoter for the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus and a residence hall chaplain at Creighton University, Omaha, NE. For more information on Jesuit vocations, click here.