20th Sunday of Ordinary Times

          The Gospel tells us that we must not be afraid of division caused by the word of God, which come from the reaction of the “old world” that is trying desperately to remain alive. The first reading gives the example of Jeremiah, a timid. Sensible man whom God entrusts with proclaiming a hard message that goes against the wishes of the kind and of the army. He was persecuted, but God was at his side and freed him. Anybody who becomes a true announcer of the word of God will be persecuted too. The second reading invites us all to be strong and to do our best to overcome our difficulties, like athletes in a race.

          Highlighting the supreme importance of God’s Kingdom, Jesus decided to warn his followers that they may be in for a lot of pain and suffering if they chose to follow him. Pain and suffering, of course, comes to everyone, whether we are good, bad, or indifferent. Sometimes our inner peace can be destroyed by so many things; such as, big things like natural disasters, to issues with bad health or death of a family member, to a disagreement with someone we love. Many years ago a good friend who was pushing a person in a wheelchair at his synagogue and while he was doing this he suffered a stroke. He would often cynically say to his friend “No good deed goes unpunished”. I think at times we all feel that way, that life is not fair. I believe most of us have the unexpressed expectation that if we do what God wants, God should do what we want. Well, sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn’t, at least not right away. Today’s Gospel called for a radical way of life that often stood in contradiction to the popular beliefs of the people. Pope Francis said, “IF our heart is closed; IF our heart is made of stone, then stones will end up in our hands, and we will be ready to throw them at someone.” Like Jesus and Jeremiah, I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Pope Leo XIV said, “Salvation does not come about by magic but by grace and faith.”