“So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17) 

One thing with mathematics is the fact that one can get a correct answer and still lose the full mark. In other words, to get the full mark, one must show how he/she arrived at the answer. So, the emphasis is not on getting the correct answer, but on showing the correct process and working that produced the answer. 

So, after Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Christ, in the gospel of today, he was disappointed to hear Jesus talk about the destiny of the same Christ he professed a while ago. The ugly picture of the suffering Christ painted by Jesus, and prophesied by Isaiah in the first reading, was unbearable for Peter that he had to call Jesus aside to caution him about his statements. The same Peter who declared the correct answer was not interested in the process of the answer. 

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, the profession of faith is important in living our Christian lives, but it is not enough. As St. James mentions in the second reading, we must show our faith through our deeds. Christianity is not an empty confession of faith. It is not just a matter of words. The fruits of what we confess is found in an authentic relationship with God and others, else the faith is considered dead. Faith is, therefore, to be lived out in true love of God and love of neighbor, not by mere words, but by sacrifice and active works of charity.