Deacon Tom Anthony

 

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 120

Reading 1

Jer 38:4-6, 8-10

In those days, the princes said to the king:
"Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin."
King Zedekiah answered: "He is in your power";
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
"My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city."
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 40:2, 3, 4, 18

R. (14b)  Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
 out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
 he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
 a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
 and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
 yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
 O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!

Reading 2

Heb 12:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

Alleluia

Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

When we embrace our faith and walk with Jesus Christ it will be inevitable that there will be conflict in our lives rising from the fact that we found a different way. This way can run counter to the expectations of a society that is constantly trying to minimize the influence of God and the Church, while emphasizing a set of values that we as Christians can find ourselves in disagreement with. If this wasn’t enough, because of the war between the flesh and the spirit within us, we will often be in conflict within ourselves. This can bring about discontentment and unwanted anxieties, as we are confronted with temptation after temptation and choices that appear to have no positive outcome. Bombarded with mixed messages everywhere from multimedia to opinions from people who just might not have our best interests at heart, there can emerge a feeling of hopelessness and a willingness to surrender. This is the true destiny of all Christians, a process of turning our backs on things of this world and embracing the life of Christ.

 

What is happening is a cleansing process and the triumph of the spirit. The closer we get to Christ, the more we will disagree with the tenants of this world and find ourselves aligning with that which has its origins in the sunlight of The Spirit. This is not the end of conflict, but it is only the beginning. That which comes from the world, all of our worldly passions and desires, will fight against what is happening. There will be an attempt to drag us back into our old way of life. The closer we get to God, the more violent these attempts will become. We need to be aware of what is happening and prepare ourselves for these battles through prayer, worship, and the constant pursuit of that which comes from God. Surrounding ourselves with like-minded people in community can further strengthen us.

 

The Letter to the Hebrews tells us to,

“rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us

and persevere in running the race that lies before us

while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,”

 

Our life is indeed a race towards Jesus Christ and all that can be obtained through a full relationship with Him in this life and the next. Sin and temptation will weigh us down, but the more we concentrate on Jesus Christ, the more these burdens will be lifted; the stronger we will become. Saint Francis of Assisi understood this. His story of conversion is a reflection of our own and can offer hope in our struggles. Born into an affluential, rich merchant family, he lived a life of privilege and debauchery. He had all the amenities that that were afforded to a family of his status, yet he felt dissatisfied and empty. He struggled with this for a very long time, all the while having his decisions being opposed by his family who did everything within their power to prevent him from pursuing that which God was wanting him to do. He ultimately renounced all claim to his inheritance and lived a life of a beggar and a penitent, doing acts of charity for atonement of sins until he founded The Friars Minor.

 

We are all called to pursue a life which will bring us closer to God. Along the way, we will be challenged, discouraged, and prevented from doing so. Some of this opposition will come from those that we considered closest to us. This should be of no consequence to us. Each person is on their own personal journey where they will find themselves with Jesus or against Him. We are told not to condemn them but to love them instead. Healing ourselves through Jesus Christ will enable them to be healed through our example. We can become a guiding light for them, then the journey becomes a shared experience. This experience will reveal a higher truth unblemished by what we feel, touch, and experience in the world today.

 

Deacon Tom