Homily for 22nd Sunday in Ordinary time Year A
22nd Sunday in Ordinary time
Year A
Your
Cross is Not Your End - It is Your Path to New Life
Jeremiah 20:7 - 9 Romans 12:1 - 2 Matthew
16:21 - 27
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!
Every one of us carries a
cross. Some crosses are visible, and others are hidden deep within our hearts. It
may be a family problem, financial difficulty, loneliness, disappointment,
rejection, failure, illness, lost of someone whom we loved or the burden of
caring for someone whom we love.
When we face these
struggles, we often ask, why
is this happening to me? Sometimes we even feel that God has abandoned us.
But today’s readings give
us a different perspective. They remind us that the cross is not the end of our story. When we
carry our cross with Christ, it can become a path to transformation and new
life.
Jeremiah teaches us not to give up. St. Paul teaches us to offer ourselves to God completely. Jesus teaches us to take up our cross and follow Him.
The cross can be painful, but God’s call
gives it meaning – Jeremiah 20:7 - 9
In the first reading, we meet the prophet Jeremiah,
who is going through a difficult moment.
Jeremiah has faithfully
proclaimed God’s message, but instead of receiving appreciation, he experiences
rejection and suffering. He becomes tired and discouraged. He even feels like
saying, “I will not speak in
God’s name anymore.”
Among the Old Testament
prophets, Jeremiah most closely resembled Christ in His sufferings. While other
prophets were martyred by their own people, Jeremiah’s entire public life was a
long and painful martyrdom. He loved his country and his people, but he had to
warn them that their worldly ways and political choices would lead to disaster.
Because of this, they hated and mocked him. Refusing to pay attention to God’s
warning through him, they continued blindly toward their own destruction.
We see a similar
experience in the life of Jesus. Christ also loved His country and His people.
His mission was to lead them into God’s kingdom on earth and prepare them for
His eternal kingdom. However, they were more interested in worldly things and
politics than in their eternal happiness. They refused to recognize Him as the
Messiah promised by God to their ancestors and rejected His message. They
mocked and insulted Him during His mission and finally handed Him over to the
Romans, who crucified Him.
In the Gospel of Luke
13:34, we hear the loving and sorrowful words of Jesus: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets
and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your
children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you refused.”
These words show us the
deep love of Jesus for His people. He longed to protect them, guide them, and
bring them closer to God, but they refused His invitation. Even today, Jesus
lovingly calls each of us to come closer to Him.
But then something
happens. God’s word is like a fire burning within him. Jeremiah discovers that he cannot
simply walk away from God’s call. This is very relevant to us. Sometimes we
also become tired of doing good. We may say:
Why
should I continue?
Nobody
appreciates what I do.
I
have prayed so much, but my situation has not changed.
Jeremiah reminds us that being
faithful does not mean that we will never become tired. It means that even when
we are tired, we allow God to give us the strength to continue.
The cross becomes an offering –
Romans 12:1 - 2
St. Paul tells us: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God.” Paul is asking us to offer our whole lives to
God.
Christianity is not only
about coming to church, saying prayers, or receiving the sacraments. Our
everyday lives can become an offering to God. When a parent patiently cares for
a child, that can be an offering. When a husband or wife chooses forgiveness
instead of revenge, that can be an offering. When a young person chooses what
is right instead of following negative peer pressure, that can be an offering. When
we continue to serve even when nobody notices us, that can be an offering.
Paul also says, “Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” The world may tell us, Choose comfort. Avoid sacrifice.
Think only about yourself. But Jesus tells us something different: “Give yourself. Serve. Love.
Forgive. Follow me.”
These words were written
more than 1,900 (nineteen hundred) years ago, yet they still speak to us today.
We, too, are called to live the Christian life faithfully, to walk the path
that leads to heaven, and to remain grateful for God’s countless blessings.
Like the Christians of the early Church, we have received the great grace of
being called to follow Christ and to share in His divine life.
St. Paul teaches us how to show our gratitude to God. We are called to live as true Christians, allowing our daily lives to follow God’s will. In everything we do, our first desire should be to give honor and glory to God. When we live in this way, our lives become a living sacrifice offered to Him each day. Then, our lives become pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight.
The cross is the road to life
- Matthew 16:21 - 27
In today’s Gospel, Jesus
tells His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be
raised. Peter cannot accept this. He says, “Lord, this should never happen to you!”
Peter wants Jesus without
the cross. But Jesus teaches Peter - and all of us - that the way of
discipleship involves the cross. Jesus says: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.”
Jesus is not telling us
to look for suffering. He is telling us that when suffering and sacrifice come as part of faithful
living, we should not run away from God. And notice something
important: Jesus does not simply say, “Carry your cross.”
He says: “Take up your cross and follow
me.” That
means we do not carry the cross alone. Christ walks with us. And the cross of
Jesus did not end at Calvary. The cross led to resurrection. That is why
our theme is: “Your Cross
Is Not Your End - It Is Your Path to New Life.”
After Peter confessed
that Jesus is the Son of the living God, Jesus tells His disciples that He must
go to Jerusalem, suffer, be rejected, and die. But His death will not be the
end. On the third day, He will rise again, and the victory of His enemies will
be short-lived.
This was God’s plan for
our salvation from the beginning. Jesus willingly accepted suffering and death
on the cross to save us from sin. By His sacrifice, He became the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of the “Suffering Servant.”
The message is simple: the way of Jesus is the way of the cross, but the cross always leads to resurrection. We too are called to carry our crosses with faith, trusting in God’s love and His plan for us.
Let
me Share a Story
There was a man who was carrying a very heavy cross.
Every day he walked with
it, and after some time he became exhausted. He looked at other people and
thought, “Their crosses
seem much lighter than mine.”
One day, he went to Jesus
and said: Lord, this
cross is too heavy. Please give me another one. Jesus looked at him with
love and said: “Come with
me.”
Jesus brought him to a
room filled with crosses of different sizes. Some were large, some were small,
and some looked very easy to carry. Jesus said: “Choose whichever cross you want.”
The man looked around. He
picked up one cross, but it was too heavy. He tried another, but it was
uncomfortable. He tried another, but it was difficult to carry.
Finally, after searching for a long time, he found one
that seemed just right.
He said: Lord, I will take this one.
Jesus smiled and said: “My
child, that is the very cross you were carrying before.” The man
suddenly understood.
He had been looking at
other people’s crosses and thinking they were easier. But he did not know their
struggles. He did not know their hidden tears.
He realized that God had
been giving him the grace to carry his own cross every day.
What does
this Story Mean for us
Brothers and sisters,
sometimes we look at other people’s lives and think: Why is their life
easier than mine?
We see their happiness,
but we do not see their struggles. We
see their success, but we do not see their sacrifices. We see their smiles, but
we do not see their tears.
Everyone carries a cross.
The question is not: Why
do I have this cross?
The deeper question is: How can I carry this cross with Christ?
Perhaps your cross today
is something you did not choose. Perhaps you are carrying a family burden. Perhaps
you are struggling with forgiveness. Perhaps you are disappointed because
something you prayed for has not happened. Perhaps you are tired of doing good
without receiving appreciation. Do not think that your struggle is meaningless.
Bring it to Christ.
Jeremiah teaches us: Don’t
give up. Paul teaches us: Offer your life to God. Jesus teaches us: Take
up your cross and follow me. And the resurrection teaches us: The cross is not the end.
Yes friends, when we
leave this church today, we will return to the same realities of life. Our
problems may not disappear immediately. Our crosses may still be there. But
perhaps our attitude can change.
Instead of saying: Lord, why have you given me this cross?
we can pray: Lord, I may not understand this
cross, but I will not carry it alone. Walk with me. Give me strength. Help me
to remain faithful. And lead me through this cross to new life.
Because the cross is not
our destination. Christ is our destination. And when Christ walks with us, even
the heaviest cross can become a path to hope, transformation, and resurrection.
“Your Cross Is Not Your
End - It Is Your Path to New Life.”
LIVE
JESUS!
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