Acts, chapter two, verses fourteen through twenty-one.
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord . 21And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.' Luke, chapter nine, verses eighteen through twenty-two.
18And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, Who do the crowds say that I am? 19So they answered and said, John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again. 20He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered and said, The Christ of God. 21And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
Daily Formation Synthesis.
What is the Church teaching your soul today?
Today the Church asks you the question Christ asked Peter: "Who do you say that I am?" You can give the right words, "the Christ of God," and the Church wants you to mean them all the way down. The Christ you confess goes by way of suffering, and Paul shows what it is to follow Him there. He sits in a cell, thanking friends for a small gift, content in hunger and in plenty, and sure that Christ holds him up. Your own days will have want and plenty too. Let neither one tell you who you are. Learn what Paul learned, that you can do all things, meaning all that is given to you, through the One who strengthens you.
Ascetic posture for today: Whenever you feel a lack or a worry, pray "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God," and receive what the day gives you as from His hand.