My youngest sister often remarks about how lucky I am.  While I have not been the recipient of grand prize winnings, I have been blessed with abundant good fortune.  Often when I refer to my daughters, I use the metaphor “I was dealt a good hand.”  And the same metaphor applies to my parents.  They were wise, fun-loving parents who treated my sibling and me with love, respect and trust.  In addition to creating interesting experiences for us, my parents also seemed to strike the right balance when sharing difficult news, such as the failing health of a grandparent or if we were about to face a painful medical procedure.  They had a sense of what would be important for us to hear and trusted that we would feel their support as we processed the information.

As I read today’s gospel from Mark, I am flooded with memories of the love, respect and trust my parents showed me.  Jesus asks the disciples “Who do people say I am?” and follows up with “Who do you say I am?”  Jesus then goes on to teach the disciples what to expect in the future: “that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.”  This is the first time the disciples had heard this information, and they must have found it very difficult to understand what Jesus was teaching them.  Although Jesus’ response to Peter sounds harsh, it is his love for the group that motivates him to make sure they can begin to process the true meaning of his words.  Jesus also asked the disciples to not tell people about him.

Delivering challenging information in a direct and caring manner can be a beautiful way to show respect for another person.  This is also a way to build and strengthen trust.  How we receive difficult information also requires trust in ourselves and the other person. 

Today I pray with gratitude for my parents for giving me a strong foundation and for the love, respect and trust they showed me.  I pray in the times I need to share difficult information for the grace to be attentive to the needs of others.  I ask God to help me look for ways to invite others into sharing a new perspective and to be open to the lessons through the teachings of Jesus.

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.