22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)
GOSPEL READING: (Matthew 16:21-27)
JESUS began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “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 will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one ngive in exchange for his life?
“For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”
REFLECTION:
The English dictionary carries an interesting word derived from the name Jeremiah, the prophet in today’s First Reading. (Jeremiah 20:7-9) The word is jeremiad, a noun that means doleful complaint or lamentation. During his watch as a prophet to Israel, Jeremiah was a certified prophet of doom, since he spoke about the impending destruction of Jerusalem if its people did not show remorse and repentance for their sins. Jeremiah uttered strident calls to the civil and religious leaders, as well as to the general population, who had all turned against God and had forgotten their covenant with Yahweh.
Jeremiah’s words not only fell on deaf ears; he also had to contend with a violent persecution against him. He was accused of treason, brought to jail, and eventually released to freedom. It was at this point when the prophet unburdened himself before God, baring his soul before his Maker and Sender whom he referred to as his “seducer.” Jeremiah had earlier resisted becoming a prophet since all the stakes were against him. He came from the backwoods of Anatot and had a speech impediment. His youthful age also went against him, especially in a society that listened only to the voices of elderly men.
The prophet could not be made to stop, though. He felt fire burning in his heart, imprisoned in his bones and every time he resisted this fire, the more he turned weary. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus likewise felt this fire within themselves as they walked with the risen Christ. Saint Paul puts this experience in his own words: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!”
Jesus reaches the crossroads emboldened by the spark of divine fire. So far, he had focused his ministry in Galilee in the north of Palestine. He went round the whole of Galilee, his fame spreading throughout Syria, and large crowds followed him. Today he sets himself on the holy city of Jerusalem where the temple was located, and where the religious leaders reigned supreme.
Jesus predicts to his apostles the persecution and death to be meted on him by God’s own representatives in the holy city. He also spoke to them about being raised on the third day. All these fell on deaf ears especially because the talk about persecution and death did not appeal to Peter. He remonstrated with Jesus saying, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
Peter may sound like a good friend or follower of Jesus, sincerely concerned about his welfare. On his part, Jesus sees in Peter’s gesture the enemy’s subtle attempt to thwart the will of his heavenly Father. Jesus honestly shares with his apostles about his impending passion and death. He does not sweet-talk them to a form of discipleship by offering them perks and privileges. He says that the cross is going to be a spiritual axiom and a principle of life for every believer. If one wants to follow Jesus, there are no free rides. No cross means no growth.
PARTING SHOT: (The Gospel and Care for Creation)
“Following Christ involves sacrifice. After all, he sacrificed too. We need to control our selfish desires in order to live simply and thus lessen the environmental destruction happening around us.” – Green Convergence
Gospel Reading and Reflections by Fr. Paul J. Marquez, SSP, taken from the September 3, 2017 edition of Sambuhay Missalette, printed in the Philippines by St. Paul’s.
The Catholic Gospel Digest 