20260830 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Jer 20:7–9; Rom 12:1–2; Mt 16:21–27): The Love of Renouncing Oneself and Bearing the Cross: That Holy Fire Dear brothers and sisters, as we stand on the last Sunday of August—a moment of gathering up our time as we wrap up two-thirds of the year—I hope you will take a precious moment to reflect: What have each of us longed for, what have we come seeking, how are we moving forward, and in what state and where are we arriving? Let us examine whether our decisions have always placed the Lord’s will at the center, whether we have walked by reflecting ourselves in the light of His guiding hand, and whether we have matured in a manner worthy of His Word and love while responding with right choices. At times, this path becomes a source of conflict and anguish, leading us to the sorrow of coming to know our true selves. There are moments when following God's will feels overwhelming and lonely. When we face a sense of coldness—where external forms or delivery are eval‎uated over the content of the Word prepared with all our heart—or a feeling of pride that refuses to accept the love the Lord points out and embraces us with, we, too, must confront times when human disappointment or frustration chills our hearts. As seen in chapter 20, verse 9 of his book, the prophet Jeremiah was plunged into such deep agony and distress that, facing the insult and derision he endured every time he proclaimed the Lord’s word, he resolved: “I will not mention him, I will speak his name no more.” Yet, he declared, “But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.” Driven by an intense passion and longing that could not forsake the blessings received from God or the heart captured by love for Him, he rose once again—keeping his eyes fixed on God so that human hearts and human concerns would not become a stumbling block. In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ our Lord reveals to His disciples for the first time the journey of suffering and death He must undergo, as well as the Resurrection that will rise beyond it. But Peter could by no means accept the path the Lord was to walk. Thus, he cried out, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” In truth, this speaks for our own hearts. It is entirely natural that, while seeking the Lord, our instinctive reaction is to avoid suffering; anyone would naturally desire the happiness of an uninterrupted, peaceful daily life. After all, even in movies, the line we hear most often is, “Everything is gonna be fine.” However, the Lord sternly rebuked him: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” The moment we cling to human concerns and forget the things of God, we easily succumb to the temptation of comfort, rendering us unable to see the whole picture or fulfill the Lord’s providence. The path of discipleship offered by the Lord is clear, as He states in Matthew 16:24: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Saint Paul likewise tells us in Romans 12:1, “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” He teaches us that not following the trends of the world or self-centered desires, but discerning what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God in our daily lives—this is our true spiritual worship. Bearing the cross is by no means a painful destruction of oneself. Rather, it is a holy mystery: only when we lay down our small self can the greater love of God fill us within. Dear brothers and sisters, during this coming week, let us embrace the small and heavy crosses of our lives without complaint. May we pray to faithfully follow behind the Lord, becoming living sacrifices that brightly illuminate the world with the flame of love burning within our hearts. Amen.