DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 28, 2011
22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – A

Jer 20:7-9 / Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 / Rom 12:1-2 / Mt 16:21-27

JEREMIAH 20:7-9
Yahweh, you have seduced me and I let myself be seduced. You have
taken me by force and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day
long; they all make fun of me, for every time I speak I have to shout,
"Violence! Devastation!" Yahweh's word has brought me insult and
derision all day long. So I decided to forget about him and speak no
more in his name. But his word in my hear t becomes like a fire
burning deep within my bones. I try so hard to hold it in, but I
cannot do it.

ROMANS 12:1-2
I beg you, dearly beloved, by the mercy of God, to give yourselves as
a living and holy sacrifice pleasing to God: such is the worship of a
rational being. Don't let yourselves be shaped by the world where you
live, but rather be transformed through the renewal of your mind. You
must discern the will of God: what is good, what pleases, what is
perfect.

MATTHEW 16:21-27
Jesus began to make i t clear to his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem; he would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities,
the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and
be raised on the third day. Then Peter took him aside and began to
reproach him, "Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you." But
Jesus turned to him and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You would have me
stumble. You are their king not as God does, but as people do." Then
Jesus said to his disciples, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself,
take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life
will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.
What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself?
There is nothing you can give to recover your own self. "Know that the
Son of Man will come in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels,
and he will reward each one according to his deeds."

REFLECTION
Today's Gospel presents Jesus who patiently explains to his friends
the inevitability of the Paschal Mystery particularly the cross. This
Peter vehemently objects to. As a result, after having praised Peter
for uttering the true identity of Jesus as Messiah, he finds himself
being reprimanded and rebuked by Jesus. Peter could not simply
reconcile the reality that Jesus, the perceived Messiah, would become
a failure in that he would not be able to liberate his people from the
Roman rule. He could not accept that the doctrine of the cross was an
essential mark of a true Christian.

The cross that we bear in life comes in many forms whether it is
because of our own doing or simply as a test from God. It may be a
sickness of a loved one or the loss of employment of a breadwinner.
These could bring about crises which elicit various responses. The
sick either becomes close to God or feels alienated from God. With
regard to their families, some either get closer to one another or
simply distance themselves all the more from one another due to past
negative feelings.

No matter what we do, the shadow of the cross shall lurk upon us. It
will manifest itself in one way or another whether we like it or not.
Rightly so, for even Jesus, the begot ten Son of God, was not spared
from the cross in his life.

With the crosses that come our way, we now have the choice whether to
embrace or discard it. Do we graciously accept and carry it or do we
reject and refuse to carry it? Of course, it is not easy to readily
embrace the cross that we have in life. Jesus himself showed some
hesitation at the Garden of Gethsemane. But, in the end, he willingly
accepted it as the will of his Father.

The good news then is this: if we decide to accept the cross and carry
i t and follow Jesus, then Jesus promises us life that is not simply
concerned with the future but also with the present. Our cross
ironically becomes a blessing and may actually be a means to greater
things. Just cite the example of a family who has a sick member. You
can imagine the pain and suffering not only of the sick member but all
those who love him. But we know from experience that at times, this
may become the opportunity for family members to interact and help one
another, thereby bring about much unity and understanding. We know of
many people who have found Jesus in life amid trials and sufferings,
yet are found to be much happier and peaceful vis-à-vis those who have
simply enriched themselves in wealth, honor, and power. There is an
aura of equanimity with these people as they know they have found what
is truly the most essential and important in life. We just have to
look at the life of Peter, who must have been haunted with his triple
denial of the Lord in the latter's trying and most difficult moments.
But, Peter showed remorse for what he had done. And in the post-
resurrection scene, he receives his mission from Jesus, an indication
that Jesus was willing to trust him again. Peter then became the
leader of the early Christian community and was faithful to the risen
Christ. He preached the Risen Christ, resulting in his being
questioned, and ultimately imprisoned. Yet, he persevered and was
willing to offer his life for Jesus in the end. For this he suffered
and died a martyr's death. But as Jesus promised, he now enjoys the
company of our Lord.

The Paschal Mystery is the main feature in the life of any serious
follower of Jesus. A cross freely embraced assures us of the promise
of Jesus regarding eternal life.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Kris and Ben
- Ditas dela Paz
- Chuck, Karen T, Mrs C, Ben, Pam, Maria & John C
- Julie Manzon
- Lisa Chan
- Loida Buensalida
- Mae Ignacio
- Antonio Evangelista
- Jo Marcelo
- Jun Lee
- Jonathan Salazar
- Wally Torres
- Mon Torres
… for the personal intentions of
- Elizabeth Toral
- Estileta and Salvador Escamilla
- Ma.Fe and Florante De Castro
- Mary Ann Castro
- Glenn and Joel Bisco
- Fe and Doming Barayoga Jr.
- Glenn and Julie Manzon
- Pat and Linda Manzon
- Andrew G
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Tom Taylor
- Anna Limpe McAvoy
- Andrew Que
Eternal rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them.
May they and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Virginia B. Guzman
- Birthday: Tessie Macatangay
- Birthday: Fr. Arnie Boehme, OCD
- In Memoriam (+): Eligio R. Reyes
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers
and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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