22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are pretty grim, particularly the Gospel. Jesus talks to us about heaven and hell. You know heaven and hell. Heaven's the place where we're all going when we die and hell's the place that we all pretend doesn't exist. It's kind of like Baghdad. We know it's bad, but we don't expect to ever go there. Hell's the place that it was as hot as, just a few weeks ago. Hell's the place that's going to freeze over when the Cub's win the World Series.
Jesus makes it pretty clear in today's Gospel that both places exist and that each of us is going to one or the other. He says that He will return with His angels, "in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct." So what kind of conduct is He looking for? He tells us. Whoever wishes to come after Him must take up his cross and follow Him.
The Gospel is from the 16th Chapter of Matthew. We're just a little over half way through. It's time for Jesus to start revealing to His Apostles what the future holds. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have been waiting for the Messiah. They expect Him to be some kind of larger-than-life conquering hero who will vindicate them for all their suffering, sort of a first century Superman. What they don't expect is for someone who is meek and gentle to die for their sins. Today, Jesus begins to break the news to the Apostles.
Of course Peter goes ballistic. You have to love Peter. He always seems to get it wrong, just like you and me. "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!" He's speaking for all those hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of Jews who are expecting this conquering hero Messiah. And Jesus tells him "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." Poor Peter. Shot down again. He still doesn't understand. His intentions are good. How could Jesus be so mad at him for not wanting Him to die?
The key is Jesus' last sentence. "You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." That's where we get into trouble, too. So just how do we think?
We think the way society thinks. It's sad, but thinking as God thinks isn't going to make us many friends in 2005. We all want to have friends. Our society tells us that if it feels good, do it. Nike tells us "Just do it". Television and movies tell us that it's ok to have sex with anyone who happens to be in the same room with us, regardless of gender. Marriage? C'mon. What an old fashioned concept that is. The only people who seem to make a big deal about marriage are the ones who nature never intended to be together in the first place.
We're hooked on "reality" TV. But what kind of reality is it? Do people really get marooned on an island and get to vote one another off, one at a time? Are we ever likely to be locked up in a house full of strangers with television cameras catching our every move, 24 hours a day; or will we ever get the chance to sing with a rock band? That's not reality! Your life and my life are reality and I'm afraid that it wouldn't make very interesting TV. Watch the mass on EWTN. That's reality!
For gosh sakes, you'd better look like Hollywood's concept of the perfect person. Loreal tells us that their stuff is expensive, but I'm worth it. If you're not one of the beautiful people, you're nothing at all. You have to have the right hair, the right clothes, the right body. Little girls, and even some boys, make themselves sick trying to achieve the perfect body. Some even die.
On the other hand, huge numbers of us ignore our bodies. We sit in front of the TV, watching those reality shows, eating junk food and gaining weight. I'm afraid I have to count myself in that group, but I'm trying.
Pope John Paul II said we live in a culture of death. The media gives us daily counts of the casualties of war and the deaths on the street from violence and traffic accidents. But the number of babies we kill in the United States every day before lunch is greater than the number of US casualties in Iraq since the war began nearly two years ago. But society would have us look the other way and call that "choice".
St. Paul tells us in the second reading that we should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. He says, "do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." He wrote those words almost 2,000 years ago, but they could just as well have been written last week. There is tremendous pressure for us to conform ourselves to this age. How hard must it be to be a young person today? How hard is it to be holy and pleasing to God when the peer pressure and the media pressure is so great? How hard is it to save yourself for marriage? I'd say it's impossible without God's help. Maybe not 100% impossible, but definitely very, very hard.
We're all born with a desire to please our parents and that includes our Heavenly Father. In the first reading, poor Jeremiah is really ticked off at God. He says, "You duped me, OH LORD, and I let myself be duped!" Those are pretty strong words. I think it's ok to be angry at God, but Jeremiah seems to be crossing the line a little bit. He's been preaching the word of God and everyone is making fun of him. All it's brought him is "derision and reproach." But, what happens?
He tells himself that he's not going to talk about God anymore, but he can't help himself. It's like a fire burning in his heart. He can't endure it. The desire for God is so strong, in Jeremiah and in us, that we just can't help ourselves.
So even with all the pressure to go along with the crowd, deep down, we know what we should do. But, the urge to go along, to be liked, is strong. And, God has given us free choice. We can decide whether to listen to His Word or to ignore it.
So is it all bad? Of course not. Church attendance is good. Everybody doesn't watch junk on television. The weight loss industry is going strong, thanks be to God. Last Saturday night, more than 10,000 people showed up to ride their bicycles through the streets of St. Louis at midnight. Many young people do remain chaste until marriage.
But the point I believe Jesus is making today is this: There will be a judgment. Each of us will repay all according to our conduct. Most of us will probably go to heaven but some of us won't. The key is to think like God and not like men. Like Jeremiah, we have to follow that instinct that tells us to embrace God, even when we feel like we've been duped. As St. Paul says, "don't 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.
Jesus makes it pretty clear in today's Gospel that both places exist and that each of us is going to one or the other. He says that He will return with His angels, "in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct." So what kind of conduct is He looking for? He tells us. Whoever wishes to come after Him must take up his cross and follow Him.
The Gospel is from the 16th Chapter of Matthew. We're just a little over half way through. It's time for Jesus to start revealing to His Apostles what the future holds. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have been waiting for the Messiah. They expect Him to be some kind of larger-than-life conquering hero who will vindicate them for all their suffering, sort of a first century Superman. What they don't expect is for someone who is meek and gentle to die for their sins. Today, Jesus begins to break the news to the Apostles.
Of course Peter goes ballistic. You have to love Peter. He always seems to get it wrong, just like you and me. "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!" He's speaking for all those hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of Jews who are expecting this conquering hero Messiah. And Jesus tells him "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." Poor Peter. Shot down again. He still doesn't understand. His intentions are good. How could Jesus be so mad at him for not wanting Him to die?
The key is Jesus' last sentence. "You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." That's where we get into trouble, too. So just how do we think?
We think the way society thinks. It's sad, but thinking as God thinks isn't going to make us many friends in 2005. We all want to have friends. Our society tells us that if it feels good, do it. Nike tells us "Just do it". Television and movies tell us that it's ok to have sex with anyone who happens to be in the same room with us, regardless of gender. Marriage? C'mon. What an old fashioned concept that is. The only people who seem to make a big deal about marriage are the ones who nature never intended to be together in the first place.
We're hooked on "reality" TV. But what kind of reality is it? Do people really get marooned on an island and get to vote one another off, one at a time? Are we ever likely to be locked up in a house full of strangers with television cameras catching our every move, 24 hours a day; or will we ever get the chance to sing with a rock band? That's not reality! Your life and my life are reality and I'm afraid that it wouldn't make very interesting TV. Watch the mass on EWTN. That's reality!
For gosh sakes, you'd better look like Hollywood's concept of the perfect person. Loreal tells us that their stuff is expensive, but I'm worth it. If you're not one of the beautiful people, you're nothing at all. You have to have the right hair, the right clothes, the right body. Little girls, and even some boys, make themselves sick trying to achieve the perfect body. Some even die.
On the other hand, huge numbers of us ignore our bodies. We sit in front of the TV, watching those reality shows, eating junk food and gaining weight. I'm afraid I have to count myself in that group, but I'm trying.
Pope John Paul II said we live in a culture of death. The media gives us daily counts of the casualties of war and the deaths on the street from violence and traffic accidents. But the number of babies we kill in the United States every day before lunch is greater than the number of US casualties in Iraq since the war began nearly two years ago. But society would have us look the other way and call that "choice".
St. Paul tells us in the second reading that we should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. He says, "do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." He wrote those words almost 2,000 years ago, but they could just as well have been written last week. There is tremendous pressure for us to conform ourselves to this age. How hard must it be to be a young person today? How hard is it to be holy and pleasing to God when the peer pressure and the media pressure is so great? How hard is it to save yourself for marriage? I'd say it's impossible without God's help. Maybe not 100% impossible, but definitely very, very hard.
We're all born with a desire to please our parents and that includes our Heavenly Father. In the first reading, poor Jeremiah is really ticked off at God. He says, "You duped me, OH LORD, and I let myself be duped!" Those are pretty strong words. I think it's ok to be angry at God, but Jeremiah seems to be crossing the line a little bit. He's been preaching the word of God and everyone is making fun of him. All it's brought him is "derision and reproach." But, what happens?
He tells himself that he's not going to talk about God anymore, but he can't help himself. It's like a fire burning in his heart. He can't endure it. The desire for God is so strong, in Jeremiah and in us, that we just can't help ourselves.
So even with all the pressure to go along with the crowd, deep down, we know what we should do. But, the urge to go along, to be liked, is strong. And, God has given us free choice. We can decide whether to listen to His Word or to ignore it.
So is it all bad? Of course not. Church attendance is good. Everybody doesn't watch junk on television. The weight loss industry is going strong, thanks be to God. Last Saturday night, more than 10,000 people showed up to ride their bicycles through the streets of St. Louis at midnight. Many young people do remain chaste until marriage.
But the point I believe Jesus is making today is this: There will be a judgment. Each of us will repay all according to our conduct. Most of us will probably go to heaven but some of us won't. The key is to think like God and not like men. Like Jeremiah, we have to follow that instinct that tells us to embrace God, even when we feel like we've been duped. As St. Paul says, "don't 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.
posted by Mike at 12:29 PM
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