March 13, 2022 - Courageous Commitment to Christ

Part 2 of the series, “Growing in Faith: Our Identity in Christ.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is secure in His identity and steadfast in fulfilling His mission. His disciples must be secure in our identity in Christ so that we are steadfast in fulfilling our mission from Christ. What choices do we need to make that will influence the course of the life that our Lord wants us to undertake? This Sunday's focus is to be courageously committed to Christ. Practicing the virtue of fortitude is to be faithful to God amid difficulties and dangers for doing so. Several days before the Transfiguration of the Lord, Jesus taught that His mission as the Messiah of God would be fulfilled through His passion, death, and resurrection. Moreover, His disciples must take up their crosses in union with Him. During the Transfiguration, Peter the Apostle wanted to avoid the way of the cross. Peter needed to learn that we must strive to conform our lives to the teaching and example of Christ. Otherwise, our profession of faith is lip service. We carry the cross as we undergo conversion, deal with the circumstances of life, and live according to gospel principles that the world does not accept.