“We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?”

Peter’s question in today’s Gospel is one we can easily recognize in ourselves: “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Peter is not necessarily asking from selfishness; he is expressing a very human concern. We sacrifice, we serve, we pray, we forgive, we give our time and strength, and sometimes we quietly wonder, what do I receive in return? Will my sacrifice matter? Will God remember me? We ask Peter’s question in many ways. We may ask it when our prayers seem unanswered, when our sacrifices are not appreciated, when others appear to prosper while we struggle, or when doing what is right seems to bring little reward. Even in ministry, family life, religious vocation, or service to others, we can wonder: Lord, after all I have done, what will there be for me? Jesus does not condemn Peter. Instead, He redirects his heart from immediate reward to the greater promise of eternal life. Following Christ is not a transaction in which we give something to God so that He must give something back. It is a relationship of love and trust. The Lord promises that nothing sincerely given for His sake is ever wasted. The first reading warns us against the pride that makes us believe that our achievements, wisdom, possessions, or status make us self-sufficient. The responsorial Psalm reminds us that God alone is the giver of life. Our greatest treasure, therefore, is not what we possess or receive, but belonging to Christ. Today, let us bring our own version of Peter’s question to Jesus. Let us be honest about our sacrifices and disappointments but also allow Him to purify our motives. May we learn to say: “Lord, I have given myself to You, not because of what I will get, but because You are worth everything.” In God's hands, every sacrifice made in love becomes a seed of eternal life.