22nd Sunday of Ordinary

Readings for:22nd Sunday of Ordinary Times, Year A

Reading 1   Jeremiah 20:7-9 

Psalm         Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9   

Reading 2   Romans 12:1-2 

Gospel      Matthew 16:21-27   

REFLECTIONS:… from Father Daniel     

Theme of the Sunday: Seduced by Christ. In the first reading, Jeremiah complains that God has seduced him. He was convinced that following God would lead him to success and an easy life; instead he ended up as what seemed a total failure. In the Gospel, we see that Peter thinks like Jeremiah and does not accept a suffering, defeated Messiah. Jesus spells out conditions for those who follow him, so that nobody will be able to say they were seduced with flattery or false promises. The second reading is very close to the theme. It invites us not to go along with the way everybody else thinks. Other people may not find the life of a Christian acceptable. 

To be a Christian is difficult. To be a messenger of God means being uncomfortable. This is Jesus’ message to his disciples. Peter didn’t like the sound of Jesus’ message to his disciples. Peter didn’t like the sound of Jesus’ prediction of his own death. Jesus, though, had a radically different set of values and priorities. What seemed foolish to Peter was part of God’s plan. 

Aren’t there a lot of things about our faith that do not make sense? In Today’s Gospel we hear Jesus say: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Or we are told we must love our enemies and forgive them, or that when we receive Communion we are eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ. Somehow there is wisdom in the things we do, a wisdom based on the principle  that whoever wishes to save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Jesus is telling us if we follow him it’s going to bring us problems. Problems and crosses are part of everyone’s life, wheter they believe in Christ or not. Following Christ helps us deal with them more easily. And, the Gospel demands that Christians take a stand. It demands that we stand for a different reality. It demands that we not be conformists but that we learn to Judge God’s will and do it. Does this mean that we all become fanatics? No, it does not. For St. John Paul II defined a “fanatic” as one “who looks at a piece of the pie and thinks it’s the whole pie.” I am convinced God teaches us the way to eternal life through Jesus’ teachings, through prayer, scripture and sacraments. Always stand up for what you believe in; even if it means standing alone.