Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 131
Reading I
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may
hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Responsorial Psalm
R. (9) I will
walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
Because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
And I called upon the name of the LORD,
“O LORD, save my life!”
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Reading II
What good is it, my brothers and
sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his
disciples and said to them,
“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
and that of the gospel will save it.”
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Psalm 118 tells us that “If God is with us who can be against us? This is Israel’s song.” It is also our song and one that we should use as a spiritual hym to give us courage and faith. It is a true testament to who God is and the relationship we can have with Him. Jesus said, The kingdom of God is within you.” We a part of God and He is a part of us. We coexist with Him and are constantly welcomed into The Trinitarian Experience. When we acknowledge this more things will fall into place and a new confidence will be realized. Whatever we confront and whatever we find ourselves up against can be faced with a confidence that it will be overcome because we have God as our advocate.
All the prophets contained in Sacred Scripture faced adversity even though what they said came directly from God. They possessed Divine Revelation and spoke the truth but there was always a multitude that opposed them. Usually, these people made up the power structure of the time and held positions of power within Jewish Society. The prophets spoke against them and how they were misleading the people. They delivered a message which included fundamental change to things that these leaders promoted. Change is always difficult, especially when there are those who would lose something as a result. It did not matter that this message came directly from God. Those who did not listen were already not listening to God and chose all that He opposed instead. The prophets needed to stand strong against these opposing forces even when it meant their imminent death. What kept them strong was not their will alone but the power of God who gave them what they needed to continue their mission.
The Scripture Reading from Isaiah today issues a challenge to any who opposed the prophet. He was addressing those who opposed him; knowing that God was with Him and that he would prevail as a result. He knew that he possessed a truth that was higher than anything that he may be challenged with. Nothing could threaten him as long as his ears remained open to God and he pursued his mission as he was instructed to do. The confidence he exuded was mesmerizing. There was no duplicity in his words and where he stood could not be disputed. What makes it even more impactful was that he was speaking as if he was standing alone in opposition to an undeniably stronger force; yet he was unwavering in what he had to say. His moral and spiritual superiority was undisputed because he was speaking with God. This is the example we are invited to follow.
We are encouraged to be that prophet when we live out our faith-life. Our goal should be to live with the confidence and courage that our faith is true to what God wants and expects from us. When we face opposition is when we become stronger. When we are persecuted is when we are more glorified as a result. We invite calamities because it is through them that we are toughened. We do not create these, but we confront them and make them go away with the message that we possess, for our message is truth. The truth always prevails, especially when it comes from God.
Our life should be a life of service. We do carry a message, but we are servants to that message and not its master. This is where there are many who find themselves on the side of error. Moved by the Holy Spirit there will be those who feel that their job is done when what is given them is preached; a message delivered is interpreted as a mission complete, but in reality that is only the beginning. Just as The Holy Spirit can be defined as The Love of God in action, we have to be people of action. The Word of God cannot only be interpreted through words and speech. The Word must be lived constantly. The Word needs to be reacted to through good works grounded in faith. Every word in Sacred Scripture was delivered to create an emotional reaction which then leads to action. It is a perpetual cycle that never ends. There is a continuous path forward which promulgates a transformation of God’s creation and leads us to Him. It is through not only what we say but what we do that The Kingdom of God is realized.
The opposing forces that we face are of no consequence because God’s vision is greater than what those forces possess. Those forces are of this earth while we have a mandate from God. If it is God’s will that we are carrying out rather than our own then we will be okay. In fact, we will be better than okay. We will be glorified just as Jesus was glorified. This is our destiny: to be glorified through, in, and by Our Lord Jesus Christ. I feel that this is something a lot better than what can be experienced through only a secular existence; encompassed by worldly desires and goals. Below is an example of an opposing force:
Michelle Williams took home a best actress Golden Globe but not before shining the spotlight on abortion rights. The actress used her time on stage to advocate for a "woman's right to choose" — a right she said enabled her to be where she is today.
Williams, who is pregnant, won the award for best performance by an actress in a limited series or a motion picture made for television, for her role as Gwen Verdon in FX's mini-series "Fosse/Verdon." The show was also nominated for best actor in a mini-series and best mini-series.
"As women and as girls, things can happen to our bodies that are not our choice. I've tried my best to live a life of my own making, and not just a series of events that happened to me," she said. "... And I wouldn't have been able to do this without employing a woman's right to choose. To choose when to have my children and with whom." – Li Cohen CBS News.
Those who are motivated by earthly desires and earthy things have their visions of success rooted in these same things. What is focused on is that which compromises everything else, including life, in favor of things that feed the desires of the flesh. God is invoked but God is not followed. God’s will is dismissed in favor of one’s own will. These actions are then self-justified by surrounding oneself with others who promote this behavior and wish to dismiss He who has governance over all as just an idea or a thing to be used to further their own goals. That is evil. Anything that opposes God and what God says is not from God.
There will be times when we will find ourselves conflicted. We will question ourselves if what we are doing is by God’s design or by our design. This can easily be sorted out by a simple understanding that when God’s work is being done there is no guilt. There is also no justification necessary. What we must do is simply get out of our own way and let God show us the way. Usually when confusion abounds it is because we have allowed the entrance of our own will back into the equation or are being influenced by evil. The focus needs to be always on God if the answers are to come swiftly and easily. The Gospel Reading emphasizes this through the interaction between Jesus and Peter. Jesus shared with His disciples about what was to come, including His crucifixion. Peter took Him aside and apparently tried to change His mind, possibly criticizing Him for accepting His fate. Jesus responded with a rebuke of His own and criticized Peter for thinking like humans think instead of accepting what God’s will was. We are also reminded how these doubts and evil thoughts have as their common origin Satan.
When we act and think according to God’s will good things will abound. We will be a powerful force within our lives and a power instrument of God’s. God gave us free will. It is a beautiful gift, but it is a gift that is two-fold. To have it work properly means that it has to be given back to God so He can become the director. When we freely do this, we can then receive freely everything back from Him in return. He does not want to control us, but He does want us to make the right decisions and do things to the best of our ability. We don’t know everything, but He does. When we start listening and keep listening a better way will be revealed and we will be able to follow it with confidence and strength.
Deacon Tom
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