Daily Readings - Sun Sep 03 2023

⁷"You have led me away, O Lord, and I have been led away. You have been stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a derision all day long; everyone mocks me⁸For I speak now as I have long spoken: crying out against iniquity and proclaiming devastation. And the word of the Lord has been made into a reproach against me and a derision, all day long⁹Then I said: I will not call him to mind, nor will I speak any longer in his name. And my heart became like a raging fire, enclosed within my bones. And I became weary of continuing to bear it

Romans

Chapter 12

¹And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, with the subservience of your mind²And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect

Matthew

Chapter 16

²¹From that time, Jesus began to reveal to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and to suffer much from the elders and the scribes and the leaders of the priests, and to be killed, and to rise again on the third day²²And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him, saying, "Lord, may it be far from you; this shall not happen to you.²³And turning away, Jesus said to Peter: "Get behind me, Satan; you are an obstacle to me. For you are not behaving according to what is of God, but according to what is of men.²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples: "If anyone is willing to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me²⁵For whoever would save his life, will lose it. But whoever will have lost his life for my sake, shall find it²⁶For how does it benefit a man, if he gains the whole world, yet truly suffers damage to his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul²⁷For the Son of man will arrive in the glory of his Father, with his Angels. And then he will repay each one according to his works

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter three distinct yet interconnected themes that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, sacrifice, and discipleship. The prophet Jeremiah expresses his anguish and frustration as he feels overpowered by God, mocked for his message of repentance, yet unable to silence the divine word burning within him. In Romans, Paul urges believers to offer their lives as living sacrifices, transformed by the renewal of their minds to discern God’s will. The Gospel presents Jesus foreseeing his passion and resurrection, rebuking Peter’s resistance, and calling his disciples to embrace self-denial and carry their crosses. These readings share a common thread: the call to surrender to God’s will, even when it demands sacrifice. Jeremiah’s struggle and Paul’s exhortation to live as sacrifices highlight the transformative power of aligning our lives with God’s purpose. Jesus’s teachings in Matthew underscore the necessity of embracing the cross, not as an end, but as a means to true life. Together, they remind us that following God often requires us to let go of our own desires and trust in His plan, even when the path is difficult. In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to confront our own resistance to God’s will. Like Peter, we may hesitate to embrace the cross, fearing suffering or loss. Yet, Jesus’s words remind us that true life is found in surrender. As we navigate our struggles, may we learn to trust in God’s plan, even when it leads us through darkness. Let us pray for the courage to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him, knowing that in doing so, we find true life and purpose.