Daily Readings - Sun Aug 30 2020
Jeremiah
7O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.8Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.9But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Romans
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Matthew
21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound reflections on faith, sacrifice, and the transformative power of living according to God’s will. The prophet Jeremiah expresses the anguish of being a vessel for God’s message, feeling mocked and derided, yet unable to contain the divine word burning within him. This speaks to the burden of faithfulness and the internal conflict of adhering to God’s call despite external opposition.
The Gospel presents Jesus foreseeing His Passion and Peter’s resistance to this plan, leading to Jesus’ stern rebuke. This moment highlights the clash between human understanding and divine purpose. Jesus then teaches the disciples about the necessity of self-denial and carrying one’s cross, emphasizing that true life is found in losing oneself for His sake. This is not about seeking suffering, but about prioritizing spiritual life over worldly comforts.
Paul’s letter to the Romans bridges these ideas, urging believers to offer their lives as living sacrifices, transformed by renewing their minds. This transformation enables us to discern and live according to God’s will, rejecting conformity to the world. The readings collectively invite us to embrace a life of faith and sacrifice, trusting in God’s plan even when it challenges our human instincts. Let us reflect on how we can align our lives with God’s will, embracing the cross with courage and hope, knowing that true fulfillment comes from following Him.