Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 3, 2023
First Reading: Jeremiah 20.7-9
7O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me.8For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.9If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
Psalm 63
1O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.3Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.4So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.5My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,6when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;7for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.8My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.9But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;10they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.11But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Second Reading: Romans 12.1-2
1I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Gospel: Matthew 16.21-27
21From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you."23But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."24Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?27For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
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.