Word to the Wise
Sunday, September 3, 2023 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[Jer 20:7-9; Rom 12:1-2; Matt 16:21-27]'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." [Jeremiah] 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. [Romans] "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." [Matthew]
Jesus, Paul and Jeremiah seem to come together to challenge all of us who are baptized to take discipleship seriously. For us Catholics, at least, that means more than simply going to church on Sunday and frequenting the usual sacraments of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist and reconciliation. The "job description" of discipleship that emerges from today's scripture is a warning that serious discipleship will mean "sacrifice." Yes, there is sacrifice in financially contributing to the church and sending one's children to Catholic schools, but discipleship goes to the center of the person, to one's very attitude. Jeremiah was not very fond of his calling because it meant people would react negatively to his challenges. Paul challenges us to be counter-cultural in our attitudes and lifestyle. Jesus speaks of a cross to be born if one wishes to follow him. Why should anyone deliberately choose to do more than the minimum to "stay in good standing?"
One reason we have saints and spiritual heroes is that these folks chose to do more than the minimum. But they can seem to be out of reach, especially martyrs! Putting holy people on a pedestal has the effect of removing them from ordinary life. We are all called, in the words of Pope Francis, to be "missionary disciples." We don't have to do extraordinary things, but we do have to ask ourselves just how much we have conformed ourselves to the present age and how that impacts our ability to "discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." This means coming to terms with social, political and cultural practices and prejudices and how these impact the way we behave and give witness to our faith. Sacrificing those can be a cross to bear because they can be deep inside us and unconsciously impact the way we see others and act toward them. What "motivates" us? Do our political, social and cultural values shape our faith, or does it happen the other way around? Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus are awaiting our answer. AMEN