HOMILY OF THE 22ND SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY OF THE 22ND SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: “YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD”
BY: Fr. Mike Olumba
Jer 20: 7-9, Ps. 63:2-6, 8-9, Rom 12:1-2, Matt 16:21-27
In the verses before the first reading, (Jeremiah 20: 1-3), a chief temple priest named Pashur beat up Jeremiah and tied him to a stake near the temple gate. He was left there over night to be mocked by the people so as to teach him a lesson and to stop him from saying that _Jerusalem will be destroyed by the Babylonians_ (which of course eventually happened). This message from Jeremiah was hated by the religious and political leaders of the Jews then.
In the first reading, (Jeremiah 20: 7-9), Jeremiah tells of how the Lord persuaded him and drew him into his project of announcing the will of God and a painful message to his people who were then banking on false hopes in the face of foreign enemies. To be in the project of God can also imply much suffering: Speaking to an audience that does not listen but rather mocks the messenger.
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY OF THE 22ND SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME
In the Letter to the Romans (12: 1-2), Paul exhorts his listeners to becomes themselves a living holy sacrifice to God. “Do not take the world as a model”. You do not need to live in a different community. You rather need to change yourself (and your environment) by changing your way of thinking. To be a victim of a sacrifice is not a comfortable experience. It is to be crushed by life in different ways.
Last Sunday, Peter confessed his faith wholeheartedly. He said to Jesus and of Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. This Messiah was no ordinary figure. He had been awaited for so long. He held so many hopes for the people; he embodied in Himself the entire future. But what future?
Most people saw in Jesus the great liberator, “the son of David,” who would restore Israel to her former power and glory. But here Jesus speaks of a completely different Messiah: a Messiah who “must depart, suffer, be killed, and rise again”. This is an unacceptable and unimaginable prospect for Peter and all those who dreamt of a Messiah with prodigious powers. He who healed the sick and raised the dead—how could He Himself die? No, never!
Jesus the Messiah embodies in Himself the figure of the new king that the people of Israel had been waiting for. But this new king, in fact, is not a triumphant ruler, but the suffering servant foretold by Isaiah (53:1-12), and a despised prophet like Jeremiah (in the first reading). Such a figure of the messiah is not self-evident, for it is the antithesis of human conceptions of success. To end up on the cross, between two Bandits is not our idea of a successful life or mission. Jesus tells us all of the true implications of the faith proclaimed by Peter. Peter’s opposition to this idea draws a sharp rebuke.
But is suffering necessary for salvation? A misunderstanding risks arising here, which consists of presenting suffering as a “good” in itself or even as a source of pleasure. This pitfall has not always been avoided by Christian spirituality and Christian preachers.
Suffering, in itself, is always an “evil”, from which we will be delivered in heaven, or one day in heaven when God will wipe away all the tears from our eyes (Rev. 21:4). The “good” is not suffering as such, but walking in the footsteps of Christ, who suffered out of love for humanity, and in whom and with whom our own suffering can find a meaning.
(But it’s not only religion that suggests we sometimes accept suffering for the good of others, the suffering that is both beneficial and salvific. When a nation is under threat by unjust powers, the state calls up her people to fight in case discussions fail to achieve peace. And people line up to engage knowing fully well that they might lose limbs or even die. Yet they accept it for the sake of others, for the sake of the future and for their country).
From birth to death, the human condition has—since the beginning of time—been marked by suffering; the Son of God came to share in this painful human condition, to illuminate suffering from within and transform it, though not to eliminate it completely—at least not here on earth. (The Catholic Church calls our passage here, a Valley of Tears). Even in the midst of his suffering and violent death, he never ceased to love; this changed the very meaning of suffering and death—a radical shift that culminated in the resurrection.
Jesus’ response to Peter is simply a request for him to step aside. He commands him to recede into the background so that He—Jesus—can better show the path that must be followed. The journey will not be a walk in the park; it will demand sacrifices: one must deny oneself, take up one’s cross, and even sometimes lose one’s life. The renunciation required is not a passive acceptance of every event, much less a pathological seeking out of suffering or persecution. There is enough for everyone even when you do not look for it. It signifies a change of course, a new path—the path of a love that does not calculate the cost of loving.
May our love for the Lord and for his people never die!
May the Lord’s love for us all never die!
May he sustain and encourage us on the path of life—a path that may sometimes become the path of the Cross and also the path of death that leads to true life! Amen
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE>>>>>
Dear friends in Christ, Your support for the past 12years has kept us going. We ask you to support us with your donations to enable us to upset our “annual bills”. Our priests are willing to offer Holy Masses for your Private Intentions. May you Click on “Next”, or the “Donate” button to get started. God bless you!!!
