September 03, 2023; 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year A)

Readings: Jer. 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27 

Jeremiah’s Burden – The burden of preachers!

1.    In today’s first reading, Jeremiah used the language of a betrayed lover to describe his relationship with God. God seduced, enticed, and manipulated him with promises of fidelity and commitment into a relationship. The Lord said to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you before you were born, I dedicated you, and a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” (Jer.1:5). And when Jeremiah protested, “Ah, Lord God! I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God told him, “Say not, “I am too young.” To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you” (Jer. 1:7-8) The Lord then touched his mouth, saying, “See, I place my words in your mouth! This day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.” (Jer. 1:9-10). Jeremiah was further assured: “But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: Against Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people. They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” (Jer. 1:17-19).

2.    Why then was Jeremiah mad at God? It was because “Violence and outrage is my message.” Because God’s Word has brought him “Derision and reproach all day.” Jeremiah thought that God’s promises at the time of his call would mean that everyone would love him and be receptive to his prophetic messages. But this was not the case. Those he preached to hate him; they ridiculed him, suspended him in the mud pit, threw him into jail, and threatened to kill him. And so, in the first reading, Jeremiah cries out complaining, “You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.” (Jer. 20:7). Jeremiah’s plight is that of every prophet who preaches the word of God. No wonder why some of today’s preachers preach what people want to hear and not God’s word. 

3.    Jeremiah’s burden came from his mission. He pointed out rottenness and corruption in high places, in sacred sanctuaries, among people who were supposed to be shining examples of virtue and champions of justice. He chastised the priests to reform their lives. He confronted kings and rulers to render justice to the poor. When Jeremiah preached, the outcome was violence and destruction; those in powerful positions and priests would mock and ridicule him. And so, he resolved not to speak of God’s Words anymore. But he immediately confesses his complete impotence to remain silent. Instead, he cried out that God’s word was like fire burning in his heart, imprisoned by his bones, “I grow weary holding it in, and I cannot endure it.” Jeremiah is gripped by the power of unrelenting love and so must keep on preaching.

4.    Jeremiah had to deal with the burden of his mission, just as Christ had his, dealing with his disciples who did not quite know what his mission was about. Last week, he asked his apostles: “Who do you say I am?” Peter had an A+ with his answer that Christ was the anointed one of God. Christ gave him an exulted position and called him the Rock on which he would build his church. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom to bind and to lose. Peter had his five minutes of fame! But in today’s reading, Christ said to Peter. “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” One wonders how deep Peter’s knowledge of Christ was. When Peter said that Christ was the anointed one, his understanding was that Christ would rescue God’s people from the hands of the Romans; establish a kingdom in which there would be no more poor or sick or blind or lame. As we recall in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), there will be peace, love, and justice in that kingdom. Sinners would be converted, and the world would be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

5.    Christ was expected to be a high priest or a judge; he was to be a warrior or a great prophet like Elijah. He was to be so great, prosperous, and powerful that suffering and pains would have no place in his life. And the Apostles saw themselves as sharing in the greatness of their master. They were destined to have high and influential positions in that kingdom. Why is Christ discussing suffering, the cross, or even dying? Peter had to prevent him from talking like that. But Christ saw in Peter’s reaction another form of temptation trying to derail him from his mission. He called him Satan, a tempter, a barrier, an adversary, and a stumbling block. Just like Jeremiah, no one wants to suffer, no one wants the cross, and no one wants pain. We want an easy way out, so we cut corners, peddle the truth, compromise our principles, and follow the crowd. No, Lord, this must not happen to you. Jesus rebuked Peter and reminded him not to give instructions but learn from him instead. Jesus lived a sacrificial life. He loves us above and beyond his call of duty. His aim is to bring us to a life of union with God. This means we must say ‘yes’ to God and ‘no’ to self. He calls us to dethrone ourselves and enthrone God and so please God in all that we do. Secondly, Christ invites us to take up our crosses as he did his and live a life of sacrifice. We must abandon our ambition and serve Christ and those entrusted to our care. We do this through prayer, a good sacramental life, and a life service life to others. We pray that we may offer ourselves “As a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” Amen.

Rev. Augustine E. Inwang, MSP

August 27, 2023; 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

Have You Ever Met Him?

1.    When faced with hard times, like a death in the family or betrayal of trust from friends, who would you say Jesus is for you? When faced with difficult situations in life, who is Jesus for you? Sometimes, it feels like we don’t know who Jesus is. This reminds me of a story told by Mark Link in his Sunday Homilies. A little girl went to CCD class for the first time. After class, her mother asked her, “Amy, how did you like CCD today?” The little girl said, “I didn’t like it at all.” Her mother said, “It was your first time. Just wait a few weeks. You’ll come to like it.” Three weeks later, the little girl came home from CCD with big tears in her eyes. “What’s the matter?” her mother asked. “It’s CCD,” the little girl answered. “Must I keep going?” “Why?” asked her mother. “What’s wrong?” “Well,” said the little girl, “everybody talks about somebody named Jesus. And I don’t know who he is. I’ve never even met him.”

2.    Christ must have wondered if those talking about him have ever met him. Do they know who he is? Was there anyone who understood him? Did they recognize him for who he was? Do they know what his mission was? Was Christ only a miracle worker, a healer, a food provider, or the one who raised the dead? This question was crucial to Christ. Has our knowledge of Christ changed us?

3.    So, to the question, “Who do you people say I am?” many people had opinions about Jesus and who they thought he was. But Christ was not interested in what others said about him, but rather, in an individual experience of him. And so, when Peter made his profession of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Christ knew that there was at least someone who knew and understood his mission. He knew that with Peter as the leader of the apostles, his work was safe, and his mission would go on without him. Peter could be entrusted with a leadership role over others. He was given the keys to the kingdom. 

4.    But how did Peter come to this sublime knowledge of Christ? Because this type of knowledge can only come from God, as St. Paul opines in the second reading: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For from him and through him and for him are all things.” I believe Peter came to this knowledge through his personal encounter with Jesus. He encountered Jesus when he was directed to catch many fish to the point that his nets were tearing. When Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Lk. 5:1-11). Peter could not have forgotten that experience! He saw firsthand how Jesus healed the sick, beginning with his mother-in-law. (Lk. 4:38-39). He heard, many times, the teaching of Jesus. He knew that Jesus taught with authority, unlike the Scribes and Pharisees. (Matt. 7:29). He was rescued from drowning in the sea of Galilee. (Matt. 14:22-33). He saw Jesus doing the kind of work reserved for enslaved people, like washing of feet. (Jn. 31-17). He saw Jesus feed the multitude with just five loaves and two fish. (Matt. 14:13-21). He, of course, witnessed Jesus as he spent hours in prayer, sometimes even throughout the night. (Lk 3:21; 11:1-13). Jesus lived with his apostles, so they experienced his simplicity of life. No ordinary human being could do all these except the anointed one of God! Yes, I know who you are, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

5.    With Peter’s confession, Jesus gave him the keys. He trusted him to take charge of his Church because Peter understood what true power meant. It is service above all; it is suffering, and at times, it entails sacrifice. It means being responsible for others in love. Jesus knew that Peter would always fall back on him for support. He knew that he would not arrogate power to himself like Shebna. Shebna used power and authority to enrich himself. He forgot the one who put him there and why he was placed in that exulted position. Corrupt leaders often feel they have absolute power and forget that the one who gave it can also take it back. And Shebna’s power was transferred to Eliakim.

6.    A true leader always looks for the source of his power. And this comes from the knowledge of God. We can know the worth of a person by the power they wield. Our understanding of Christ will assure our humility in the exercise of power. That is why power in the Church is service, and to exercise this power appropriately, one must have a deeper relationship with Christ. So, in your position of authority, who do you say Jesus is? In your family, who do you say he is? When faced with temptation and sickness that defile all cures, who is Jesus for you? In your free time alone and your confusion, who is Jesus for you? Let us pray for a proper understanding of power and authority so as to get to know Jesus personally and intimately. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

August 20, 2023; 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28 

She Is Not One Of Us!

1.     In today’s Gospel Jesus said to the Canaanite woman “It is not right to take the food of children and throw it to the dogs,” instead of being insulted, her answer was “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Who was this woman, and why was she so ill-treated by Jesus, who was naturally compassionate and empathic to women, children, the poor, and the sick? Being a Canaanite woman, means she was a Gentile, a non-Jewish. The Gentiles despised the Jews and vice-versa. She was an outsider. She did not belong to the family of God’s chosen people. This woman whose daughter was afflicted with sickness must have heard of the wonderful things which Jesus did; she followed him and his disciples, crying desperately for help. After ignoring her for some time, Jesus told her point-blank, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yes, Jesus was sent to minister to his Jewish people. This passage describes the first time that Jesus was outside of Jewish territory. It foreshadowed the going out of the gospel to the whole world. 

2.     How do we treat the outsiders of our world today? How do we relate with people who are different from us, speak other languages, have an accent, or do not belong to our class? How do we see the immigrants, Africans, native Indians, women, the poor, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized in our midst? We often put people into categories. They are Democrats; we are Republicans or Independents. We are not comfortable with people who have different political views from ours. You are either with us or against us. Those who do not belong to our group are the outsiders. Depending on the categories we place them in, the outsiders will always rely on us and the generosity of people around them. Their dependence is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness, but within that weakness lies their strength. An African proverb states that he who sees a person in the bush often forgets that they came from home. So, we see this woman, an outsider, going to Jesus for mercy, for love, for healing, not for herself but for her daughter, whom she loved dearly. She would not take ‘no’ for an answer until her daughter was healed. The disciples saw her as an embarrassment and a nuisance; and wanted Jesus to get rid of her. “Give her what she wants, and get rid of her.”, they demanded. Just the way we see and treat the outsiders we meet. They are embarrassments in our streets, feed on us like fleece, and we are tired of caring for them. We do not want them in our country taking all our jobs; we are spending too much money on their health care and welfare. The disciples’ reaction was not compassion and love and was far from a Christian response to someone in need. It was shameful and despicable. Jesus knew it. But just like all the outsiders, no insult would prevent her from getting what she wanted for her daughter. Yes, even the dogs eat the crumbs from the master’s table. But wait a minute! She was a foreigner, an outsider, a non-Jewish; her tribe was not among God’s chosen people; where did she get her faith from?

3.     Her faith came from her love, not for herself, but for her daughter. It was love that made her approach this stranger. It was love that made her accept rebuff and insult. She saw compassion in the seeming words of insult from Jesus. There is nothing more substantial and nearer to God than our love for others. We live better when we live for others. This woman’s faith grew stronger when confronted by Jesus. She looked into the face of Jesus and discovered in her heart something divine and ended up calling him Lord. “Lord help me.” When faced with sickness and deprivation, the outsiders only have their Lord to fall back on; and that is when their faith grows ever stronger. God is genuinely close to the brokenhearted. She came crying out for help and ended up on her knees in a prayer of adoration. She humbled herself and acknowledged the God of her salvation. She was not discouraged because the prayer of a contrite heart will always win favor from the Lord.

4.     The lesson from the gospel reading is that Jesus always takes advantage of every great opportunity to teach. Since his mission was to the Jews first, and this woman was a Gentile crying for mercy, Christ had to awaken true faith in her heart. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” Her answer, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters,” demonstrated that her faith was strong enough for her miracle to be granted. “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Isn’t it funny that Jesus re-enforced her faith and showed it as an example to others? 

5.     Because of her faith, being an outsider was no longer a barrier to approaching Jesus. Peter recognized this after he visited Cornelius, a Gentile, when he said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34-35). And John noted, “But to those who did accept him he gave the power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name.” (Jn. 1:12). Our faith and the water of baptism are stronger than racial and tribal bond. In Jesus, it doesn’t matter whether you are an outsider; once you believe in God and commit yourself to him, “Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed.”  May God, who accepts us as we are, help us to accept others as they are. Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP