Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 124
Reading 1 JER 20:7-9
You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the LORD has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.
I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
Responsorial Psalm PS 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R/ (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R/ My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R/ My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R/ My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R/ My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Reading 2 ROM 12:1-2
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.
Gospel MT 16:21-27
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and 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.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”
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All the three readings are with many beautiful thoughts for our spiritual food. Among all of them I am just inspired by the life of St. Peter who was a sinner and unworthy with many human errors and values.
1. Do you think that you have the characters of St.Peter during his early life?
If you observe your life carefully, you might have been possessed with certain human values as Peter had in his early life.
The life of Peter before he met Jesus
Peter was a man of slave for human feelings rather than to be a rational.
Peter acted before he thinks.
Peter was a hot tempered person
Peter had rough personalities.
Perter was a person who could not adjust his life for others.
Peter was a fearful person who wanted to protect his earthy life
The life of Peter after he met Jesus
The life of Peter was so innocent after he met Jesus. Jesus was forming him for three Jesus in such a way that slowly he understood the meaning of life.
The man who wanted to save his earthly life had become the one who was ready to lose his life for Jesus.
Peter was a good powerful weapon in the hands of spirits
If you study carefully the life of Peter, Peter was easily moved by the spirits. The passage of today's Gospel and even the previous paragraph is very clear that Peter was possessed by both the spirits one after the other.
Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit.
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.…
Peter was moved by the evil Spirit.
The simple answer is - high thoughts about ourselves. If we do not have a sober estimate of ourselves, in relation to God and other men, and in relation to our spiritual gifts and abilities, and the sphere of responsibility that God has allotted to us, we shall, like many fools do, rush into areas where even angels fear to tread.
It is in connection with offering our bodies as spiritual sacrifices that we are warned to keep a sober estimate of ourselves (Ro.12:1,3).
We are also exhorted to have our minds renewed (this means that we have to think about and understand these things) so as to find out the will of God (v.2). Satan comes around constantly looking for people whom he can deceive (1Pe.5:8). Should we not then be on the alert?
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”He turned and 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.”
What is it that makes us open to becoming instruments of Satan?
The simple answer is - high thoughts about ourselves. If we do not have a sober estimate of ourselves, in relation to God and other men, and in relation to our spiritual gifts and abilities, and the sphere of responsibility that God has allotted to us, we shall, like many fools do, rush into areas where even angels fear to tread.
It is in connection with offering our bodies as spiritual sacrifices that we are warned to keep a sober estimate of ourselves (Ro.12:1,3).
We are also exhorted to have our minds renewed (this means that we have to think about and understand these things) so as to find out the will of God (v.2). Satan comes around constantly looking for people whom he can deceive (1Pe.5:8). Should we not then be on the alert?
You are moved by which spirit?
If you think that you have great spirituality in your life and if you experience that you are moved by the spirit, you need to have constant check on the spirit which are moving your life.
You may be moved by the Holy Spirit or may be by the evil spirit. When time goes on you become the instrument of devil under the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, you would commit many sins and still you will justify your actions saying that you are doing all those acts for Jesus.