Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 134

Reading 1

Wis 2:12, 17-20

The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6 and 8

R. (6b) The Lord upholds my life.
O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
For the haughty men have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. The Lord upholds my life.

Reading 2

Jas 3:16—4:3

Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.

Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Alleluia

Cf. 2 Thes 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

 

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

It is pretty obvious that we live in a hypersensitive world. So many people demand tolerance and acceptance of their beliefs while those who resist are condemned. This condemnation is usually loud and obnoxious. It also frequently borders on violent behavior, many times crossing over. Then we become witnesses to a fascinating thing: those who were demanding tolerance become the most intolerant towards those who don’t agree with them. Being a Christian in times like these can be challenging, because we are encouraged to shape and mold our lives to be mirrors of Jesus Christ. Sacred Scripture and the Teachings of the Church offer us a blueprint for living. Through this, we also have a code of conduct whose origin is ultimately from God. These things can put us at odds with those who choose to judge instead of being judged, especially by someone like God.

 

The Book of Wisdom tells us that we will be criticized for our beliefs. Even worse, we will be hated and condemned. We all have been gifted with a conscious, the ability to discern from right and wrong. From the age of five years old, the Age of Reason, we have naturally known what is right and what is wrong. We have known since then what is the right thing to do and the wrong thing to do. There has never been any excuse beyond that. So, God calls us to do the right thing yet, the allures of this world kind of get into our way. We are pulled into two different directions. The choice then becomes up to us regarding what we want to do and where we want to go. If we do indeed make the right choice, we will be ostracized, rejected, and condemned by society for doing so. We will also be judged and criticized unjustly. But, in reality, that is a good thing. Jesus Himself said,

 

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,^*for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.^h Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

This serves as a constant reminder that we will be persecuted and condemned for what we believe in, even though it is the truth from the mouth of God. There should be rejoicing because of this, instead of lamentation. We believe in something that is above and beyond this world. If we are to experience a life that God intended us to, then we should understand that the promises of satisfaction and contentment that come with worldly pleasure will leave us lacking. Whatever this world offers is lesser in everything than a relationship with God can offer.

 

The Apostle James puts it into a brilliant perspective. Everything that comes from above is perfect. Where did the imperfect come from? It came from us. So, if we embrace the things that come from us, then we will encounter disappointment and brokenness as a result. We are challenged to strive for the perfect every day, which is offered through Jesus Christ. He points to the perfect things that are ever-present in our Lord:

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,

then peaceable, gentle, compliant,

full of mercy and good fruits,

without inconstancy or insincerity.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace

for those who cultivate peace.”

 

We have the opportunity to not only encounter the perfect, but to also experience a purity that we could never encounter in earthly things. The evilness of society then becomes more evident in comparison to what is being offered through, by, and in our Lord savior Jesus Christ. Why would we choose for anything less?

 

This purity can become more evident by stripping away the things of this world instead of embracing it. Jesus made this point today by using the innocence of a child to be the model of which we all should be striving after. It is through getting back to that innocence and acceptance of all that is good, without being influenced by the bad, that we can experience the benefits of a loving relationship with God. A return to innocence is key to a new life with Jesus Christ. Even though our past is important in shaping who we are, our future does not have to be predetermined because of it. Each day can be a new day that wipes the slate clean and offers us a new beginning.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 131

Reading 1

Is 50:5-9a

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

Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

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.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2

Jas 2:14-18

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

Gal 6:14

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

Mk 8:27-35

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,

As Christian, suffering will always be part of our lives. It is unavoidable, for Jesus Christ suffered and died for us so that we may obtain eternal life. The Book of Wisdom describes us as being, “forged in the furnace like gold.” This alludes to our sufferings now and in Purgatory. It is through suffering that our relationship with God is strengthened, and His love can be experienced more. Just as all friendships become stronger through crisis, our relationship with God is no different. We tend to relate better with people when there is a shared empathy, where each can relate to what the other has been through (good and bad). Jesus, the Word becoming flesh, enables this to happen between us and God. This is why Jesus describes Himself as the gate:

 

“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

 

He then says later,

 

“No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

This is the reason why there is a Christian Tradition to look at our sufferings as if we are carrying our own cross. It serves as a constant reminder that, just as Jesus was carrying His cross, we are carrying one to. We can then relate to Jesus and He can relate to us. We can then relate better with our fellow Christians who might be experience their own sufferings.

 

The Book of Isaiah describes a beautiful confidence in God. The servant’s ears were opened to God’s word and the result was the ability to accept all sorts of abuse and torment without losing his faith or confidence in God. In fact, he even challenges those who confront him:

 

“See, the Lord GOD is my help;

 who will prove me wrong?”

 

This comes from the passages known as The Suffering Servant. It is seen as an early personification of Jesus Christ. Through these passages the theme of suffering, faith, and restoration are emphasized. It is through faith in God that we endure all hardships and will then be better for it. No suffering is forever, but the love of God is.

 

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus began to openly discuss what was going to happen to Him. He told them about how He was going to be rejected, persecuted, and ultimately killed. This was immediately after it was revealed that He was indeed the Messiah and, in the Book of Matthew, the Son of the Living God. You probably could imagine the confusion and anxiety this created among the disciples. The one they were waiting for to restore Israel was now destined to be taken from them. This led to a very human response from Peter, who began to basically contrive how to avoid all these things. Jesus replied by saying,

 

“You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

 

It is a reminder to us that it is in human nature to avoid suffering, yet it is in Jesus’ nature to not only accept the suffering but to embrace it. It was through Jesus’ crucifixion that the resurrection was achieved and death was conquered. We have the opportunity for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life through the Resurrection. We also have the opportunity to experience special graces on our journey to the resurrection through our personal Passion, which we walk with Jesus continuously.

 

I remember having lunch with a good friend of mine. His name was Deacon Bruce. He was an older gentleman, about 86 years old . He had been volunteering at MCI Concord for several years now. His wife just died after a long illness. He had suffered greatly along with her as he witnessed her health deteriorate for years. He grabbed me by my hands and with tears in his eyes said,

 

“Tom, I do not know why God still wants me here. I have done everything I wanted to do in this life and I am ready to go. Why doesn’t He take me?”

 

I was given a very special gift at that moment. His faith and his love of God was so beautiful in that moment. He embraced his suffering as Jesus did and was walking with His cross, knowing what was going to come afterwards. With that exchange, I too was walking with him and helping him with that cross.

 

As Christians, we are stronger and better because of our sufferings, not despite them. We can be more joyous because of them. As the Apostle Peter wrote,

 

Let those suffering in accordance to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.”

 

Deacon Tom