Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 134
Reading 1
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
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
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
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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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