"Whoever Wishes to Come After Me..."

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny him/herself."



It's Sunday!


August 28 - XXII Sunday in Ordinary Time


We scarcely need a commentary on this Sunday's liturgy - except to say that we have heard it all before . . . and we never want to hear to hear it again! Saying "no" to ourselves . . is there anybody who has NOT heard that rule? But are there many who practice it?


Jeremiah, who gives us the First Reading, was called early in the seventh century B.C. to proclaim a very unwelcome message to the priests of the Temple: things were going to get worse and the Temple would be destroyed. For this he was denounced, considered a traitor and thrown into cistern to die. Not surprisingly, he complains to the Lord in this very powerful statement of his suffering: even when he longs to get away and prophesy no more, his call becomes " like a fire burning in my heart." What a challenge - and yet what a blessing. If only all of us could feel this inextinguishable fire of zeal!


The Responsorial Psalm is very beautiful which we can make our own - perhaps not entirely but at least let's make a start!


The Second Reading from Romans could scarcely be clearer and, for once, it harmonizes totally with the remainder of the liturgy - we saw several times that this is not always the case. The hero this time, however, is not Jeremiah but Someone much
more noble whom Paul never ceases to admire and to highlight. The good Christian no longer owns himself but must surrender his or her life in order to do the will of God. This does not involve, however, an extraordinary lifestyle. The world and the society we live in today calls for almost endless sacrifices just to be a good Catholic, to oppose the common way of thinking and on occasion to bear the rebukes and sarcasm of those who are living their own version of Catholicism or perhaps have left the Church altogether.


We are happy to see from the Gospel that Peter remains his naive self. This incident follows his profession of faith at Caesarea Philippi: ("Whom do YOU say that the Son of Man is?") Perhaps forgetting that his answer is correct, not because he is a man of faith or learning but because God has inspired him, Peter then proceeds to lecture the Master on his future moves! We don't know whether to be amazed by the apparently very democratic relationship the Lord has with his followers - they treat him as one of themselves - or by the ever-present Satan who has failed to knock Jesus off course after his fast in the desert (= First Lent), but has not yet given up hope. (Not all commentators say that Satan was actually involved but it is at least likely. He will try for the last time in the Garden of Gethsemane).


~September 2011 Concord