Jer. 20:7 – 9 / Psalm 62:2-6,8-9 / Rom. 12:1-2 / Matt 16:21-27

In the first reading, we hear Jeremiah giving voice to this internal anguish of mind; he hates what he has to say to his people, yet he is compelled by God to say it. He acknowledges that he wanted to turn from God’s call when answering it because it became too costly. He was sent to “root up and tear down, to build and to plant but for Jeremiah, he says, so far, he has been knocking down but no building is done yet. He feels he has been deceived (Pata – to be seduced).

Therefore, he had to face constant persecution, because none of his gloomy predictions came to pass, so the people felt they could despise and mock him. So, for him if he could build and plant, the situation would be different. This was the burden of his prophecy and especially that they were those of his own family and friends. This was what made the mission almost unbearable.

Beloved in Christ, in the midst of his suffering, Jeremiah remained true to what he called the fire burning in his heart, imprisoned in his bones. When he was tempted to turn his back on the Lord because of his suffering, he still felt the fire of the Lord’s presence, burning deep within him. Like Jeremiah, even in those times when we are more aware of the presence of suffering than we are of the presence of the Lord, the fire of his presence continues to burn deep within us. The Lord continues to call out to us. He calls on us to remain faithful to him.

He calls on us to offer our lives to him, to keep trying to discover the will of God. The sufferings of Jeremiah should encourage us to bear whatever sufferings the practice of Christian religion may bring on us, we must continue to love our neighbour even if they revile and mock us because of our fidelity to God, for that is the good and perfect thing to do.

In foretelling the humiliations, sufferings and death, at the hands of the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, Christ intended to prepare his disciples and other followers for what he knew would be for them a severe crisis of faith. He also took the occasion to remind his disciples, and all others who would follow him, of what their attitude to suffering and death should be. He told them, and us too, that we must be ever ready to accept sufferings in this life, and even an untimely death if that should be demanded of us, rather than deny our Christian faith.

Jesus says, that following him will sometimes mean renouncing ourselves and taking up our cross, as he had to do. Jesus’ reply to peter “the way you think is not God’s way but man’s” – suggests that God’s way is the way that faces up to reality, and that God is always to be found in the truth, however painful that truth might be.

It was God’s way, or God’s will, that Jesus should remain faithful to his mission of preaching the gospel of God’s kingdom, even if this led to Jesus being put to death on a cross. This was the painful reality or truth that Peter found hard to accept and that he reacted so strongly to. It is also God’s will that we ourselves remain faithful followers of his Son, Jesus, even though this will often mean taking the more difficult path.

Beloved, we will often find a resistance within ourselves to this gospel truth, this call to reach beyond ourselves for the sake of Christ, the kind of resistance we find in Peter and in Jeremiah in today’s readings. Both of them felt the strong urge to protect themselves from what they perceived to be the painful consequences of the Lord’s call. Peter said, ‘Lord, this must not happen to you’. Jeremiah said, ‘I will not think about him anymore’. Such reactions are very understandable. Yet, both of them overcame their resistances and went on to find themselves by giving themselves away for the Lord and his people.

Brethren, let us note this, there’s no other path to life than the one that Christ offers. Not even Peter can offer an alternative, so anyone who intends to follow Christ must be ready to embrace the cross. Anyone who offers a different path is an adversary no matter how close he or she is to Christ. So, may the Grace of God help us to remain resolute on our baptismal calling in difficult moments of our journey, such that our witnessing becomes channels of miracles and blessings to others and not become obstacles rather.

Mass intentions: Praying for all expectant Mothers for safe delivery of all babies. Praying for Divine favour and financial support for all struggling families. Praying for life partner for all those seeking for God’s favour for a good choice of a life partner.