On the Son Rise Morning Show, Matt Swaim welcomes back Father Jonathan Duncan of the Diocese of Charleston and co-host of the Bone Church Revival Podcast to reflect on the Mass readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Continuing from Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ in Matthew 16, the Gospel takes a dramatic turn as Jesus rebukes Peter for rejecting the Cross. Father Duncan explores the tension between Peter as the rock upon which Christ builds His Church and Peter as a stumbling block when he resists God's plan of salvation.

Father Duncan explains why the Cross is at the heart of Christian discipleship—and why the temptation to avoid suffering, sacrifice, and self-giving love ultimately comes from the enemy. Jesus' words, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,” reveal the paradox of the Christian life: we discover true fullness not by clinging to our lives, but by giving them away in love and service.

The conversation also looks at the witness of the martyrs and saints, the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and how Christians can resist the temptation toward self-centeredness by embracing a life of sacrifice for Christ and others.

A powerful reflection on the Cross, humility, sacrifice, sainthood, and what it really means to follow Jesus.