St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are in the twenty second ordinary Sunday of year A. In the first reading prophet Jeremiah’s complaints are in the form of a lament, how Jerusalem has oppressed him. The true destination of his complaint is with the Lord that he has been duped. The two tenable options he mentions are, if he speaks he encounters deep hostility with the people and if he remains silent, the word torments his life and exhausts him. What are our options? Do we go through heartfelt experiences like him, listening to God’s word?

The second reading invites us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God by being transformed and renewed in our mind. This happens by becoming a holy, pleasing and perfect sacrifice discerning God’s will in our life. This spiritual worship is possible because of God’s mercy. It is an exhortation worthy of Christians in every age.

In the Gospel we hear Jesus’ prediction about His suffering, death and resurrection. Last week we heard Peter’s confession and Jesus’ praise. Now Peter rejects the passion prediction of Jesus, to which he receives the name Satan (tempter in Greek). Peter’s earlier answer came from God’s inspiration, which obtained his name as ‘rock’ and this answer comes from thinking ‘as human beings do’. Thus the Lord mentions the qualification of a disciple is to deny oneself, to take up one's cross and follow Him. He assures to repay all on His return according to one’s conduct. Let us focus and ponder these words.

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony