August 31 – Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time : Lose yourself

 

 

First Reading        :  Jeremiah 20:7-9 | Jeremiah laments but cannot fail to speak in God's name.
Psalm                   : Psalm 63:2-6,8-9 | Our souls yearn for God.
Second Reading  : Romans 12:1-2    | Paul encourages the Romans to stay faithful to God.
Gospel                 : Matthew 16:21-27 

 

Before Peter could truly be a follow Jesus he had to learn the cost of discipleship. Peter had to learn from Jesus how to replace his self-centred ambition and desire for prestige with recognition of the value of self-sacrifice. he had to learn how to lose himself in Christ, to take up his mission, his way of life, and his very identity as his own. Peter had to learn that being a disciple of Jesus means taking up the Cross, not grudgingly enduing it but embracing it, being willing to suffer for the Gospel and getting behind Jesus in order to follow in the way that he leads.  This is what we see in today's Gospel. Let us embrace our little crosses for the simple reason Jesus embraced his cross: for salvation and sanctification of ourselves and the world.