Twenty-second Sunday
in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 124
Lectionary: 124
You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the LORD has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.
I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the LORD has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.
I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R. (2b) My soul
is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
for your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
for your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Reading 2ROM 12:1-2
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.
AlleluiaCF. EPH 1:17-18
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 16:21-27
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct."
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct."
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Jeremiah 20:7-9
Jeremiah lived through one of the most troubled periods of the ancient near east. He witnessed the fall of a great empire (Assyria) and the rising of one even greater (Babylon). In the midst of this turmoil, the kingdom of Judah, then in the hands of deplorable kings, came to its downfall by resisting this overwhelming force of history.
Yahweh called Jeremiah to be a prophet to Judah and to the nations in the midst of these political convolutions. His ministry lasted about forty years (627-587 B.C.) And his book testifies that his interventions were numerous. In fact, the last decades of Judah’s history required a continual flow of light from Yahweh’s messengers; besides Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Nahum, and Ezekiel delivered the word of God. Of all these inspired men, no one reached the stature of Jeremiah in his great sensitivity to Yahweh’s love for His people and in his profound understanding of this very people’s duty toward Yahweh through the covenant. Thus, Jeremiah’s prophetic word is noted for its directness and acuity in stating the true nature of Yahwehism and in denouncing the different religious deviations. The two predominant themes of his message are precisely to define true Yahwehism and to proclaim the imminent wars as punishments of Judah’s aberrations.
In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was sacked and the Judean population deported to Babylon. A number of Judeans fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah along with them where, according to Jewish legend, he was stoned to death.
7 You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;
The verb translated as “duped” means “to seduce” and is used in the case of a virgin being seduced by a man in Exodus 22:15. Jeremiah is being very bold in his speaking to God.
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
He has been seized – again a word used in the context of sexual seduction.
All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.
Yahweh has tricked His messenger!
8 Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violence and outrage is my message; The word of the LORD has brought me derision and reproach all the day.
According to Jeremiah 1:10, he had been sent to “root up and to tear down, to build and to plant.” Until now, his message has corresponded only to the first part of the program and as a result he has had to face constant persecutions. If he had been able to build and plant, the situation would have been different – he has been seduced.
9 I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
Jeremiah’s prophetic inspiration is irresistible. In Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 4:24; 9:3; Isaiah 33:14, Yahweh is said to be a consuming fire. Here Jeremiah applies this imagery to God’s word.
2nd Reading - Romans 12:1-2
Today we again continue our study of the book of Romans from where we left off the previous week. Saint Paul writes from the point of view of a Pharisee who is well schooled in the scriptures and in covenant theology. He has been lamenting how the Jews have failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but at the same time rejoicing that the Gentiles serve as the means to bring the whole world to salvation. After all, the Jews are descended from the southern kingdom (Judah) while the ten tribes of the northern kingdom (Israel) were sent into exile in 722 B.C. and never returned; having been scattered among “the nations.” The Gentiles are from “the nations” and will serve as the example to bring about the reunification of the descendants of Jacob/Israel, the twelve tribes.
12:1 I urge you therefore, brothers,
Saint Paul speaks as an authorized apostle (Romans 11:13).
by the mercies of God,
The plural suggests the multiple manifestations of mercy he has described in chapters 9 through 11.
to offer your bodies
As in a sacrificial setting.
as a living sacrifice,
Christians who strive to do what is right give a cultic sense to their lives. Paul compares this offering to animals sacrificed in the Jewish temple rite, but adds the distinguishing note that their entire offering of themselves is “alive and living” and not as a dead animal.
“Paul pleads with them through the mercy of God, by which the human race is saved. ... This is a warning that they should remember that they have received God’s mercy and that they should take care to worship the one who gave it to them. God’s will is our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), for bodies subject to sin are considered not to be alive but dead, since they have no hope of obtaining the promise of eternal life. It is for this purpose that we are cleansed from our sins by God’s gift, that henceforth we should lead a pure life and stir up the love of God in us, not making His work of grace of no effect. For the ancients killed sacrifices which were offered in order to signify that men were subjected to death because of sin. But now, since by the gift of God men have been purified and set free from the second death, they must offer a living sacrifice as a sign of eternal life. For now it is no longer the case that bodies are sacrificed for bodies, but instead of bodies it is the sins of the body which must be put to death (John 8:34-36).” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 413-426), City of God 10,6]
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
It is spiritual worship because it is guided by reason and benefitting a man.
2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
Paul regards this age (world) to be passing and imperfect (1 Corinthians 7:31) and he alludes to the rabbinical designation of “this age and the age to come.” Saint Paul teaches that the “age to come” has already begun – the two ages meeting in Christian dispensation. This is why the Christian, although he is in “this age,” must live for God and not be conformed to any other standard.
“The fashion of this world is groveling and worthless, and temporal as well. It has nothing noble or uplifting about it but is wholly perverted. The second part [of the verse] may mean either that we should be renewed, in order to learn what is expedient for us, or that if we learn what is expedient for us we shall be renewed. Either way, God wills what is expedient for us and whatever He wills is by definition expedient for us.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 391), Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans 20]
that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
The Christian metamorphosis is not external (like Christ at the Transfiguration), but inward and internal. This change is effected by the presence of God’s spirit within the Christian.
We obey this command to “offer ourselves” in each Eucharistic prayer when we “Lift up our hearts” – “We lift them up to the Lord.” We are placing our lives on the altar along with the offering of bread and wine – so that our lives, along with the bread and wine, can be transformed by God into something even more pleasing to Him.
Gospel - Matthew 16:21-27
Having heard least week Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah and his (Peter’s) subsequent commissioning as the leader of the Church, Jesus now proceeds to begin to instruct His apostles about what is to happen to Him (His passion and death).
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
Jerusalem is the city where the prophets die (Matthew 23:29-39).
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
The three groups which compose the Sanhedrin, the elders were lay leaders.
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
This is seen by some commentators as a reference to Hosea 6:2 although it could also be a precise prophecy of what is to happen to Him. Imagine the disillusionment of the disciples at this point – He has just been revealed as the Messiah and instead of military victory and prosperity, He is speaking of suffering and rejection.
22 Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
Peter wants only a theology of grace and glory, a health and wealth gospel; he wants to separate Christ from His cross.
23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me,
Remain a follower; you are not yet ready to lead.
Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Satan tempted Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1). Peter is acting like Satan and tempting Jesus.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me
Be my follower.
must deny himself,
To deny someone is to disown them (Matthew 10:33; 26:34-35). Denial of self doesn’t mean renunciation of some optional good; it means that the self is nothing, it has no claims and no value. To deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence.
take up his cross, and follow me.
This is not an allusion to Jesus’ crucifixion. This horrible death was common in antiquity and the cross was a term for suffering and agony.
25 For whoever wishes to save his life
Avoid martyrdom.
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
Acquire great wealth.
and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.
This is a picture of the rewards of discipleship. The Son of Man acts as judge and the kingdom is His.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Jeremiah 20:7-9
Jeremiah lived through one of the most troubled periods of the ancient near east. He witnessed the fall of a great empire (Assyria) and the rising of one even greater (Babylon). In the midst of this turmoil, the kingdom of Judah, then in the hands of deplorable kings, came to its downfall by resisting this overwhelming force of history.
Yahweh called Jeremiah to be a prophet to Judah and to the nations in the midst of these political convolutions. His ministry lasted about forty years (627-587 B.C.) And his book testifies that his interventions were numerous. In fact, the last decades of Judah’s history required a continual flow of light from Yahweh’s messengers; besides Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Nahum, and Ezekiel delivered the word of God. Of all these inspired men, no one reached the stature of Jeremiah in his great sensitivity to Yahweh’s love for His people and in his profound understanding of this very people’s duty toward Yahweh through the covenant. Thus, Jeremiah’s prophetic word is noted for its directness and acuity in stating the true nature of Yahwehism and in denouncing the different religious deviations. The two predominant themes of his message are precisely to define true Yahwehism and to proclaim the imminent wars as punishments of Judah’s aberrations.
In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was sacked and the Judean population deported to Babylon. A number of Judeans fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah along with them where, according to Jewish legend, he was stoned to death.
7 You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;
The verb translated as “duped” means “to seduce” and is used in the case of a virgin being seduced by a man in Exodus 22:15. Jeremiah is being very bold in his speaking to God.
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
He has been seized – again a word used in the context of sexual seduction.
All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.
Yahweh has tricked His messenger!
8 Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violence and outrage is my message; The word of the LORD has brought me derision and reproach all the day.
According to Jeremiah 1:10, he had been sent to “root up and to tear down, to build and to plant.” Until now, his message has corresponded only to the first part of the program and as a result he has had to face constant persecutions. If he had been able to build and plant, the situation would have been different – he has been seduced.
9 I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
Jeremiah’s prophetic inspiration is irresistible. In Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 4:24; 9:3; Isaiah 33:14, Yahweh is said to be a consuming fire. Here Jeremiah applies this imagery to God’s word.
2nd Reading - Romans 12:1-2
Today we again continue our study of the book of Romans from where we left off the previous week. Saint Paul writes from the point of view of a Pharisee who is well schooled in the scriptures and in covenant theology. He has been lamenting how the Jews have failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but at the same time rejoicing that the Gentiles serve as the means to bring the whole world to salvation. After all, the Jews are descended from the southern kingdom (Judah) while the ten tribes of the northern kingdom (Israel) were sent into exile in 722 B.C. and never returned; having been scattered among “the nations.” The Gentiles are from “the nations” and will serve as the example to bring about the reunification of the descendants of Jacob/Israel, the twelve tribes.
12:1 I urge you therefore, brothers,
Saint Paul speaks as an authorized apostle (Romans 11:13).
by the mercies of God,
The plural suggests the multiple manifestations of mercy he has described in chapters 9 through 11.
to offer your bodies
As in a sacrificial setting.
as a living sacrifice,
Christians who strive to do what is right give a cultic sense to their lives. Paul compares this offering to animals sacrificed in the Jewish temple rite, but adds the distinguishing note that their entire offering of themselves is “alive and living” and not as a dead animal.
“Paul pleads with them through the mercy of God, by which the human race is saved. ... This is a warning that they should remember that they have received God’s mercy and that they should take care to worship the one who gave it to them. God’s will is our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), for bodies subject to sin are considered not to be alive but dead, since they have no hope of obtaining the promise of eternal life. It is for this purpose that we are cleansed from our sins by God’s gift, that henceforth we should lead a pure life and stir up the love of God in us, not making His work of grace of no effect. For the ancients killed sacrifices which were offered in order to signify that men were subjected to death because of sin. But now, since by the gift of God men have been purified and set free from the second death, they must offer a living sacrifice as a sign of eternal life. For now it is no longer the case that bodies are sacrificed for bodies, but instead of bodies it is the sins of the body which must be put to death (John 8:34-36).” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 413-426), City of God 10,6]
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
It is spiritual worship because it is guided by reason and benefitting a man.
2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
Paul regards this age (world) to be passing and imperfect (1 Corinthians 7:31) and he alludes to the rabbinical designation of “this age and the age to come.” Saint Paul teaches that the “age to come” has already begun – the two ages meeting in Christian dispensation. This is why the Christian, although he is in “this age,” must live for God and not be conformed to any other standard.
“The fashion of this world is groveling and worthless, and temporal as well. It has nothing noble or uplifting about it but is wholly perverted. The second part [of the verse] may mean either that we should be renewed, in order to learn what is expedient for us, or that if we learn what is expedient for us we shall be renewed. Either way, God wills what is expedient for us and whatever He wills is by definition expedient for us.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 391), Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans 20]
that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
The Christian metamorphosis is not external (like Christ at the Transfiguration), but inward and internal. This change is effected by the presence of God’s spirit within the Christian.
We obey this command to “offer ourselves” in each Eucharistic prayer when we “Lift up our hearts” – “We lift them up to the Lord.” We are placing our lives on the altar along with the offering of bread and wine – so that our lives, along with the bread and wine, can be transformed by God into something even more pleasing to Him.
Gospel - Matthew 16:21-27
Having heard least week Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah and his (Peter’s) subsequent commissioning as the leader of the Church, Jesus now proceeds to begin to instruct His apostles about what is to happen to Him (His passion and death).
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
Jerusalem is the city where the prophets die (Matthew 23:29-39).
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
The three groups which compose the Sanhedrin, the elders were lay leaders.
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
This is seen by some commentators as a reference to Hosea 6:2 although it could also be a precise prophecy of what is to happen to Him. Imagine the disillusionment of the disciples at this point – He has just been revealed as the Messiah and instead of military victory and prosperity, He is speaking of suffering and rejection.
22 Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
Peter wants only a theology of grace and glory, a health and wealth gospel; he wants to separate Christ from His cross.
23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me,
Remain a follower; you are not yet ready to lead.
Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Satan tempted Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1). Peter is acting like Satan and tempting Jesus.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me
Be my follower.
must deny himself,
To deny someone is to disown them (Matthew 10:33; 26:34-35). Denial of self doesn’t mean renunciation of some optional good; it means that the self is nothing, it has no claims and no value. To deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence.
take up his cross, and follow me.
This is not an allusion to Jesus’ crucifixion. This horrible death was common in antiquity and the cross was a term for suffering and agony.
25 For whoever wishes to save his life
Avoid martyrdom.
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
Acquire great wealth.
and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.
This is a picture of the rewards of discipleship. The Son of Man acts as judge and the kingdom is His.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,
Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
Meditation: Take up your cross daily and follow
Jesus Christ
What is the way to glory and victory in the kingdom of
God? Jesus told his disciples that he must first suffer rejection, be
crucified, and then rise again on the third day. In so many words he explained
that there could be no victory and no glory without the cross. Jesus'
prediction of his suffering and death on the cross caused his disciples great
dismay and disbelief. Peter, who was often the first to react to whatever Jesus
had to say, wanted to protect Jesus from any threat or harm. That is why he
rebuked the very thought of Jesus having to face rejection, condemnation, and
crucifixion.
"My way or God's way"
Why did Jesus use the word "Satan" when he addressed Peter? When Jesus went out into the wilderness to prepare for his public ministry, Satan came to tempt him to follow a different path than the one chosen by the Father in heaven. Now Jesus recognizes in Peter's response another temptation to seek a different and less costly path for accomplishing his mission than the way of the cross. The word "Satan" literally means "adversary" - one who stands in opposition. Jesus reminds Peter that his role is not to be an adversary but a disciple - one who gets behind his Master to follow with trust and obedience.
Why did Jesus use the word "Satan" when he addressed Peter? When Jesus went out into the wilderness to prepare for his public ministry, Satan came to tempt him to follow a different path than the one chosen by the Father in heaven. Now Jesus recognizes in Peter's response another temptation to seek a different and less costly path for accomplishing his mission than the way of the cross. The word "Satan" literally means "adversary" - one who stands in opposition. Jesus reminds Peter that his role is not to be an adversary but a disciple - one who gets behind his Master to follow with trust and obedience.
Victory and glory through the cross
Jesus knew that the cross was the only way he could ransom us from slavery to sin with the price of his blood which was shed for our freedom. Through his sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus defeated Satan who held us in bondage to sin and condemnation. And Jesus defeated the power of death and overcame the grave through his resurrection. Through his obedience to his heavenly Father's will, Jesus reversed the curse of Adam's disobedience. His death on the cross won pardon for the guilty, freedom for the oppressed, healing for the afflicted, and new life for those condemned to death. His death makes possible our freedom to live as the adopted sons and daughters of the merciful Father in heaven.
Jesus knew that the cross was the only way he could ransom us from slavery to sin with the price of his blood which was shed for our freedom. Through his sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus defeated Satan who held us in bondage to sin and condemnation. And Jesus defeated the power of death and overcame the grave through his resurrection. Through his obedience to his heavenly Father's will, Jesus reversed the curse of Adam's disobedience. His death on the cross won pardon for the guilty, freedom for the oppressed, healing for the afflicted, and new life for those condemned to death. His death makes possible our freedom to live as the adopted sons and daughters of the merciful Father in heaven.
The paradox of God's economy
Jesus told his disciples that they, too, must be willing to lay down their lives in order to gain new everlasting life with the Father in his kingdom. There's a certain paradox in God's economy. We lose what we gain, and we gain what we lose. When we try to run our life our own way, we end up losing it to futility. Only God can free us from our ignorant and sinful ways. When we surrender our lives to God, he gives us new life in his Spirit and the pledge of eternal life. God wants us to be spiritually fit and ready to do his will at all times. When the human body is very weak or ill, we make every effort to nurse it back to health. How much more effort and attention should we give to the spiritual health of our hearts and minds!
Jesus told his disciples that they, too, must be willing to lay down their lives in order to gain new everlasting life with the Father in his kingdom. There's a certain paradox in God's economy. We lose what we gain, and we gain what we lose. When we try to run our life our own way, we end up losing it to futility. Only God can free us from our ignorant and sinful ways. When we surrender our lives to God, he gives us new life in his Spirit and the pledge of eternal life. God wants us to be spiritually fit and ready to do his will at all times. When the human body is very weak or ill, we make every effort to nurse it back to health. How much more effort and attention should we give to the spiritual health of our hearts and minds!
The great exchange
What will you give to God in exchange for freedom and eternal life? Are you ready to part with anything that might keep you from following the Lord Jesus and his perfect plan for your life? Jesus poses these questions to challenge our assumptions about what is most profitable and worthwhile in life. In every decision of life we are making ourselves a certain kind of person. It is possible that some can gain all the things they have set their heart on, only to wake up suddenly and discover that they missed the most important thing of all. Of what value are material things if they don't help you gain what truly lasts for eternity. Neither money nor possessions can buy heaven, mend a broken heart, or cheer a lonely person.
What will you give to God in exchange for freedom and eternal life? Are you ready to part with anything that might keep you from following the Lord Jesus and his perfect plan for your life? Jesus poses these questions to challenge our assumptions about what is most profitable and worthwhile in life. In every decision of life we are making ourselves a certain kind of person. It is possible that some can gain all the things they have set their heart on, only to wake up suddenly and discover that they missed the most important thing of all. Of what value are material things if they don't help you gain what truly lasts for eternity. Neither money nor possessions can buy heaven, mend a broken heart, or cheer a lonely person.
Losing all to gain all with Jesus Christ
A true disciple gladly gives up all that he or she has in exchange for an unending life of joy and happiness with God. God gives without measure. The joy he offers no sadness or loss can diminish. The cross of Jesus Christ leads to victory and freedom from sin and death. What is the cross which Jesus Christ commands me to take up each day? When my will crosses with his will, then his will must be done. Are you ready to lose all for Jesus Christ in order to gain all with Jesus Christ?
A true disciple gladly gives up all that he or she has in exchange for an unending life of joy and happiness with God. God gives without measure. The joy he offers no sadness or loss can diminish. The cross of Jesus Christ leads to victory and freedom from sin and death. What is the cross which Jesus Christ commands me to take up each day? When my will crosses with his will, then his will must be done. Are you ready to lose all for Jesus Christ in order to gain all with Jesus Christ?
"Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my
memory, my understanding, and all my will, all that I have and possess. You
have given them to me; to you, O Lord, I restore them; all things are yours,
dispose of them according to your will. Give me your love and your grace,
for this is enough for me." (Prayer
of Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: This shall never happen to you, by John
Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"Peter was examining the issue by human and
earthly reasoning. He thought it disgraceful to Jesus as something unworthy of
him. Jesus responded sharply, in effect saying, 'My suffering is not an
unseemly matter. You are making this judgment with a carnal mind. If you had
listened to my teachings in a godly way, tearing yourself away from carnal
understanding, you would know that this of all things most becomes me. You seem
to suppose that to suffer is unworthy of me. But I say to you that for me not
to suffer is of the devil's mind.' So he repressed Peter's alarm by contrary
arguments. Remember that John, accounting it unworthy of Christ to be baptized
by him, was persuaded by Christ to baptize him, saying, 'Let it be so now'
(Matthew 3:15). So we find Peter as well, forbidding Christ to wash his feet.
He is met by the words, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.' Here
too Jesus restrained him by the mention of the opposite, and by the severity of
the reproof he repressed his fear of suffering." (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW,
HOMILY 54.6)
TWENTY-SECOND
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, MATTHEW 16:21-27
(Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12:1-2)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, MATTHEW 16:21-27
(Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12:1-2)
KEY VERSE: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (v 24).
TO KNOW: When Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah of God (Matt 16:16), Jesus strictly commanded his followers to secrecy. The explanation for this messianic secret is found in the popular understanding of the messiah in Jesus’ time. The messiah (Hebrew mashiach, the "anointed one") was expected to be a mighty ruler like David, a warrior king who would sweep the Romans from Israel and restore them to power. Jesus’ disciples had to learn the true meaning of the messiah before they could preach. Jesus explained that it was necessary for him go to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die, but that he would be raised up on the third day. Peter recoiled at the idea of a suffering messiah and blurted out, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” (v: 22). Peter the "rock" (v 18) allowed himself to become a "stumbling block" enabling Satan to impede God's will. Peter was urging Jesus to do the very things that the tempter tried to make him do ̶ to seek power without sacrifice (Mt 4:1-11). If Jesus’ disciples wanted to follow him, they must get "behind" him, walking in his footsteps to Calvary. Those who lived contrary to his teachings would lose the very life they sought. Whoever heard and obeyed his words, even at the cost of their lives, would experience the fullness of life everlasting.
TO LOVE: Am I willing to speak out against injustice no matter what it might cost?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus help me to understand the meaning of the cross in my life.
Sunday 3
September 2017
Psalter Week II. 22nd Sunday in
Ordinary Time.
Jeremiah
20:7-9. Psalm 62(63):2-6, 8-9. Romans 12:1-2. Matthew 16:21-27.
My soul is
thirsting for you, O Lord my God — Psalm 62(63):2-6, 8-9.
‘In the
shadow of your wings I sing for joy.’
We can identify with David when he
calls on God’s help as a thirsty man in a dry and weary desert, and with
Jeremiah as he speaks God’s word as a reluctant prophet to a people who do not
want to hear. We also can feel with Peter who does not want Jesus to face
suffering and death in Jerusalem.
He is reminded by Jesus that it is
his destiny, and that each one of his followers must also face his or her
trials by taking up the cross, dying to self to save it.
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT
St. Gregory the Great, a central figure of the medieval western
Church and one of the most admired Popes in history, is commemorated in the
Ordinary Form of the Roman Catholic liturgy today, September 3.
Born
near the middle of the sixth century into a noble Roman family, Gregory
received a classical education in liberal arts and the law. He also had strong
religious formation from his devout family, particularly from his mother,
Silvia, also a canonized saint. By around age 30, Gregory had
advanced to high political office in Rome, during what was nevertheless a period of marked decline for the city.
advanced to high political office in Rome, during what was nevertheless a period of marked decline for the city.
Some
time after becoming the prefect of the former imperial capital, Gregory chose
to leave the civil administration to become a monk during the rise of the
Benedictine order. In reality, however, the new monk's great career in public
life was yet to come.
After
three years of strict monastic life, he was called personally by the Pope to
assume the office of a deacon in Rome. From Rome, he was dispatched to
Constantinople, to seek aid from the emperor for Rome's civic troubles, and to
aid in resolving the Eastern church's theological controversies. He returned to
Rome in 586, after six years of service as the Papal representative to the
eastern Church and empire.
Rome
faced a series of disasters caused by flooding in 589, followed by the death of
Pope Pelagius II the next year. Gregory, then serving as abbot in a monastery,
reluctantly accepted his election to replace him as the Bishop of Rome.
Despite
this initial reluctance, however, Pope Gregory began working tirelessly to
reform and solidify the Roman liturgy, the disciplines of the Church, the
military and economic security of Rome, and the Church's spreading influence in
western Europe.
As
Pope, Gregory brought his political experience at Rome and Constantinople to
bear, in the task of preventing the Catholic Church from becoming subservient
to any of the various groups struggling for control of the former imperial
capital. As the former abbot of a monastery, he strongly supported the Benedictine
movement as a bedrock of the western Church. He sent missionaries to England,
and is given much of the credit for the nation's conversion.
In
undertaking these works, Pope Gregory saw himself as the “servant of the
servants of God.” He was the first of the Bishops of Rome to popularize the
now-traditional Papal title, which referred to Christ's command that those in
the highest position of leadership should be “the last of all and the servant
of all.”
Even
as he undertook to consolidate Papal power and shore up the crumbling Roman
west, St. Gregory the Great maintained a humble sense of his mission as a
servant and pastor of souls, from the time of his election until his death in
604.
LECTIO DIVINA: 22ND SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (A)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, September 3, 2017
First prophecy of the passion
The scandal of the cross
Matthew 16: 21-27
The scandal of the cross
Matthew 16: 21-27
1. Opening prayer
Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide
us to the whole truth, enlighten our minds so that we may understand the
Scriptures. You who overshadowed Mary and made her fruitful ground where the
Word of God could germinate, purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word.
Help us to learn like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that
God speaks to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and
produce good fruit through our perseverance.
2. Reading
a) The context:
Mt 16: 21-27 is after Peter’s profession of faith (16: 13-20) and before the transfiguration (17: 1-8) and is strongly connected with these two events. Jesus asks the twelve to tell him who do people say he is and then wants to know who do the twelve say he is. Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16: 16). Jesus not only accepts this profession of faith, but also explicitly says that it is God who has revealed his true identity to Peter. Yet he insists that the disciples must not tell anyone that he is the messiah. Jesus knows well that this title can be misunderstood and he does not want to run the risk. "From that time" (16: 21) he gradually begins to explain to the twelve what it means to be the messiah; he is the suffering messiah who will enter into his glory through the cross.
The text we are considering is divided into to parts. In the first part (vv. 21-23), Jesus foretells his death and resurrection and shows that he is completely determined to follow God’s plan for him in spite of Peter’s protestations. In the second part (vv. 24-27), Jesus shows the consequences of recognising him as the suffering messiah for his disciples. No one can be his disciple unless he/she walks the same road.
But Jesus knows well that it is difficult for the twelve to accept his and their cross, and, to reassure them, he gives them a foretaste of his resurrection in his transfiguration (17: 1-8).
Mt 16: 21-27 is after Peter’s profession of faith (16: 13-20) and before the transfiguration (17: 1-8) and is strongly connected with these two events. Jesus asks the twelve to tell him who do people say he is and then wants to know who do the twelve say he is. Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16: 16). Jesus not only accepts this profession of faith, but also explicitly says that it is God who has revealed his true identity to Peter. Yet he insists that the disciples must not tell anyone that he is the messiah. Jesus knows well that this title can be misunderstood and he does not want to run the risk. "From that time" (16: 21) he gradually begins to explain to the twelve what it means to be the messiah; he is the suffering messiah who will enter into his glory through the cross.
The text we are considering is divided into to parts. In the first part (vv. 21-23), Jesus foretells his death and resurrection and shows that he is completely determined to follow God’s plan for him in spite of Peter’s protestations. In the second part (vv. 24-27), Jesus shows the consequences of recognising him as the suffering messiah for his disciples. No one can be his disciple unless he/she walks the same road.
But Jesus knows well that it is difficult for the twelve to accept his and their cross, and, to reassure them, he gives them a foretaste of his resurrection in his transfiguration (17: 1-8).
b) The text:
21-23: From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to rebuke him. 'Heaven preserve you, Lord,' he said, 'this must not happen to you.' But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.'
21-23: From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to rebuke him. 'Heaven preserve you, Lord,' he said, 'this must not happen to you.' But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.'
24-27: Then
Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him
renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save
his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.
What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his
life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life? 'For the Son of man is
going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will
reward each one according to his behaviour.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so
that the Word of God may enter into us and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to
help us in our personal reflection.
a)
Why does Peter try to deter Jesus from facing the passion?
b) Why does Jesus call Peter Satan?
c) How do you confront life, with the logic of God and of Jesus or with human logic and that of Peter?
d) In your concrete everyday life, what does it mean to lose ones life for the sake of Jesus?
e) What are your crosses and who are your Peters?
b) Why does Jesus call Peter Satan?
c) How do you confront life, with the logic of God and of Jesus or with human logic and that of Peter?
d) In your concrete everyday life, what does it mean to lose ones life for the sake of Jesus?
e) What are your crosses and who are your Peters?
5. A key to the reading
for
those who wish to go deeper into the text.
"Destined to go to Jerusalem…"
The four verbs "go", "suffer", "be put to death" and "be raised" (v. 21) are governed by the word "destined" or "had to". This is a verb, which in the New Testament has a precise theological meaning. It denotes that it is the will of God that something happens because it is part of God’s plan of salvation.
The death of Jesus may be seen as the consequence of the "logic" of the attitude he took towards the institutions of his people. Like every uncomfortable prophet he was removed. But the New Testament insists that his death (and resurrection) is part of God’s plan, which Jesus accepted freely.
The four verbs "go", "suffer", "be put to death" and "be raised" (v. 21) are governed by the word "destined" or "had to". This is a verb, which in the New Testament has a precise theological meaning. It denotes that it is the will of God that something happens because it is part of God’s plan of salvation.
The death of Jesus may be seen as the consequence of the "logic" of the attitude he took towards the institutions of his people. Like every uncomfortable prophet he was removed. But the New Testament insists that his death (and resurrection) is part of God’s plan, which Jesus accepted freely.
"You are an obstacle in my path"
Obstacle means hold-up or trap. To be an obstacle means to confront someone with impediments that would divert that person form the way to follow. Peter is an obstacle for Jesus because he tries to swerve from the way of obedience to the will of the Father in order to go an easier way. That is why Jesus compares him to Satan, who at the beginning of his ministry had sought to divert Jesus from the path of his mission, proposing an easy messianic mission (see Mt 4: 1-11).
Obstacle means hold-up or trap. To be an obstacle means to confront someone with impediments that would divert that person form the way to follow. Peter is an obstacle for Jesus because he tries to swerve from the way of obedience to the will of the Father in order to go an easier way. That is why Jesus compares him to Satan, who at the beginning of his ministry had sought to divert Jesus from the path of his mission, proposing an easy messianic mission (see Mt 4: 1-11).
"Anyone who loses his life… will find it"
Anyone who understands well the mystery of Jesus and the nature of his mission also understands what it means to be his disciple. The two things are intimately linked.
Jesus himself lays down three conditions for those who wish to be his disciples: renunciation of self, the taking up of one’s cross and following him (v.24). To renounce oneself means not to focus one’s life on one’s self but on God and on the plan of his Reign. This implies an acceptance of adversity and putting up with difficulties. Jesus himself left us his example of how to deal with such circumstances. It suffices to imitate him. He does not compromise his fidelity to the Father and to His Reign, and he remains faithful even to giving his life. It was precisely thus that he came to the fullness of life in the resurrection.
Anyone who understands well the mystery of Jesus and the nature of his mission also understands what it means to be his disciple. The two things are intimately linked.
Jesus himself lays down three conditions for those who wish to be his disciples: renunciation of self, the taking up of one’s cross and following him (v.24). To renounce oneself means not to focus one’s life on one’s self but on God and on the plan of his Reign. This implies an acceptance of adversity and putting up with difficulties. Jesus himself left us his example of how to deal with such circumstances. It suffices to imitate him. He does not compromise his fidelity to the Father and to His Reign, and he remains faithful even to giving his life. It was precisely thus that he came to the fullness of life in the resurrection.
6. Psalm 40
The invocation for help of one who has remained faithful to God
I
waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many
will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods!
Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God,
thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us;
none can compare with thee!
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be numbered.
and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods!
Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God,
thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us;
none can compare with thee!
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice
and offering thou dost not desire;
but thou hast given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering thou hast not required.
Then I said, "Lo, I come;
in the roll of the book it is written of me;
I delight to do thy will,
O my God; thy law is within my heart."
but thou hast given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering thou hast not required.
Then I said, "Lo, I come;
in the roll of the book it is written of me;
I delight to do thy will,
O my God; thy law is within my heart."
I
have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation;
lo, I have not restrained my lips,
as thou knowest, O Lord.
I have not hid thy saving help within my heart,
I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation;
I have not concealed thy steadfast love
and thy faithfulness from the great congregation.
lo, I have not restrained my lips,
as thou knowest, O Lord.
I have not hid thy saving help within my heart,
I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation;
I have not concealed thy steadfast love
and thy faithfulness from the great congregation.
Do
not thou, O Lord,
withhold thy mercy from me,
let thy steadfast love
and thy faithfulness ever preserve me!
For evils have encompassed me without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
till I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
withhold thy mercy from me,
let thy steadfast love
and thy faithfulness ever preserve me!
For evils have encompassed me without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
till I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
Be
pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let them be put to shame and confusion altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let them be turned back and brought to dishonour
who desire my hurt!
Let them be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let them be put to shame and confusion altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let them be turned back and brought to dishonour
who desire my hurt!
Let them be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"
But
may all who seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee;
may those who love thy salvation say continually,
"Great is the Lord!"
As for me, I am poor and needy;
but the Lord takes thought for me.
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
do not tarry, O my God!
may those who love thy salvation say continually,
"Great is the Lord!"
As for me, I am poor and needy;
but the Lord takes thought for me.
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
do not tarry, O my God!
7. Closing prayer
O
God, your ways are not our ways and your thoughts are not our thoughts. In your
plan of salvation there is also room for the cross. Your Son, Jesus, did not
retreat before the cross, but "endured the cross and disregarded the
shamefulness of it" (Heb 12: 2). The hostility of his enemies could not
distract him from his firm intent to fulfil your will and proclaim the Reign, cost
what it may.
Strengthen us, Father, with the gift of your Spirit. May he enable us to follow Jesus resolutely and faithfully. May he make us his imitators in deed and make your Reign the centre of our lives. May he give us strength to bear adversity and difficulties so that true life may blossom in us and in all humankind.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Strengthen us, Father, with the gift of your Spirit. May he enable us to follow Jesus resolutely and faithfully. May he make us his imitators in deed and make your Reign the centre of our lives. May he give us strength to bear adversity and difficulties so that true life may blossom in us and in all humankind.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
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