Twenty Second in Ordinary Time

Texts:
Jer. 20:7-9
Rom. 12:1-2
Mt. 16:21-27

The Readings:

In the first reading, Jeremiah shared his experience of trials while doing his prophetic mission. Jeremiah was tempted to abandon his prophetic calling. However, he decided to preach the word of God even if he would be persecuted. The reading reminds us of our prophetic mission in life. We must live radically the word of God in all the circumstances of our lives even if we experience trials and sufferings.

In the second reading, Paul spoke about an empowered Christian. He urged the believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices and to demonstrate a new pattern of life in this world. The reading reminds us about the grace of new life that we received in Christ. We are called to make our Christian lives as living sacrifices to God and to embrace a new lifestyle of work and relationship with the community.

In the gospel, Matthew presented the meaning of the coming suffering and death of Jesus. While He was with the disciples, Jesus gave them the requirement in following Him. Jesus reminded His disciples that the revelation of His glory is by way of suffering and death. Peter could not accept what Jesus said. He tried to make an easy way to achieve glory. Jesus reminded Peter to lead the believers to the way of glory by embracing the call to carry their crosses. To imitate the life of suffering and death of Jesus is the basic requirement of becoming the true disciples of Jesus. Thus, the disciples must carry their crosses. For Matthew, the only way to glory is by way of suffering and death. He admonished the community to emulate the example of Jesus by carrying their crosses in order to glorify the Father in their lives.

The Reflection:

The world is adept at finding ways to accumulate material things, to find easy happiness and to give false promises. To be one with the world is to be rich, to be famous, to be powerful and to gain many things in life. To find oneself is to live the standard of this world. This is the human standard. But the Christian criterion is different. To find oneself in Christ is to lose oneself in Christ. We need to live a well-balanced life in all of the areas of human life. We might have a lot of things to enjoy in this world, and yet, we are still called to integrate these things in faith. The gospel today gives us the criterion of Christian integration, and this is to deny ourselves and to carry our crosses. To embrace the life of Jesus in suffering and in death is the only way when we personally experience the glory of the Father. The way to the glory of God is the way of the cross, on the cross, for the cross, through the cross, because of the cross, only the cross. We must profess a steadfast faith in Christ as we carry our crosses every day. Are you willing to deny yourself, to carry your cross and to follow Christ? How do you integrate your faith in God today?

The Testimony:

Being human, I have also my own share of struggles and crosses in life. Even in my religious life and priestly ministry, I experienced a lot of challenges. There were times that I neglected to embrace my crosses and to deny myself. I was tempted to look only for my own interest and happiness that I neglected the people around me. I misunderstood the meaning of life and the value of suffering. I became like Peter who told the Lord, “God forbid it” (Mk.16:22). I thought that it was really difficult to follow the Lord in my vocation in life. However, there were many times also that I learned my lessons in life. I began to empathize the people who experienced a lot of difficulties in carrying their crosses in life. The gospel today reminds me of the life-giving words of Jesus. The words of Jesus are truth and life. I believed that to embrace freely the vocation that God gave me is to experience the truth, and the truth is that the Father in heaven will also be glorified in me. Therefore, I decided to deny myself, to carry my cross and to embrace the spirit of servant-leadership so that I might be able to lead the people to experience the truth of life. I firmly believed that an interior disposition of faith is a divine grace that will empower me to live genuinely a life of Christian discipleship today. And so, I am resolved to be possessed by the Word of God and by the Eucharist so that God may be glorified in me as I carry my cross every day.

The Eucharist:

The Eucharist is the celebration of the cross and the glory of Christ in the church. The Eucharist empowers us to live the Christian standard of denying ourselves, carrying our crosses and following the Lord. Thus, to celebrate the Eucharist is to make the life and the mission of Jesus as the standard of our human lives and missions. To receive Jesus in the Eucharist is to become witnesses of the dying and the rising of Christ in the life of the church. To eat the body of Christ is to become lovers of the cross and temples of the glory of God in the midst of the rising culture of death in our society. Therefore, in this Eucharist, we pray that the Father in heaven may bless us with the grace of steadfast faith so that we may be able to carry our crosses and to manifest the glory of God in our Christian lives. Yes, we pray that our Eucharistic celebration may become a declaration of our conviction to live the glory of Christ in the cross.

May God bless us.