FIRST READING: Jeremiah 20:7-9

Jeremiah laments and bemoans his fate.  He preached a message of foreboding and warning from God to the people of the Kingdom of Judah.  It was the end of the Seventh Century or the beginning of the Sixth Century BC.  The northern Kingdom of Israel had disappeared from history about 722 BC, when it was absorbed into the Assyrian Empire.  It would be less than a generation after Jeremiah delivered his prophecy that the southern kingdom would be overrun by the Babylonians, the successors to the Assyrians.  The warning of Jeremiah was not accepted by the leaders of the nation.  It was thought to be treasonous, since it called upon them to rely on the power of God and not on political alliances.

In the following verses, though, Jeremiah affirms his trust in God, who will deliver him.  His enemies will fall into disgrace, and the truth of his message, the Word that he received from God, will be upheld.  Some later Jewish writings expected him to reappear before the judgment day of the Lord.

SECOND READING: Romans 12:1-2

Paul insists that the message, which he brings from God, is meant to be demonstrated in the daily lives of believers.  It is not just an esoteric idea or even a manual of good behavior.  It is much deeper than that.  It is a call to obedience and reliance upon God.  The gospel that Paul preached is not just based in ethics.  It is the result of faith in God.  Paul has already built up to this point in the arguments he presented earlier in the letter.

Paul uses cultic language, associating ethical behavior with worship.  The body is more than just the flesh.  It is all that one is, thus the offering is complete and total.  It includes all one’s relationships.  Paul does not promote a flight from the world of his time.  But the transformation that comes about in life by discerning the will of God will bring about guidance in the decisions that must be made.

The “mind” is the rationality of mankind.  It is oriented toward God.  It seeks the Law of God that brings order and defines boundaries.  As Paul develops this section of the letter, he will point to the corporate nature of living in faith by being “one body in Christ” (Rm 12:5).

GOSPEL: Matthew 16:21-27

This is the first of three predictions of the Passion by Jesus to His disciples.  The other predictions are found in Mt 17:22-23, 20:17-19.  Some scholars point out that the Gospel of Matthew has a unique fourth prediction at the beginning of the Passion Narrative in Mt 26:1-2.  This first prediction comes after the profession of Peter about Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  The role of the disciple follows immediately after this prediction, a role that will include complete dedication, even to one’s death.  The disciples had to be witnesses to the full Gospel, including the death and resurrection of Jesus at the hands of those, whom He came to save.  The disciples also had to experience their own weaknesses in order to discover the power of God.  It is not their failures, which will define their discipleship.  It is their perseverance and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

Peter is rebuked.  He is called Satan, a Hebrew word which means “adversary.”  In the Book of Job, Satan is presented as a prosecuting attorney in the court of God.  He is an accuser in the testing of Job.  In the post-biblical Jewish texts and in the New Testament, the word becomes synonymous with “the devil.”  Peter is not told to “get away,” as was Satan during the temptation of Jesus at the beginning of His public life in Mt 4:10.  Peter is told to find his proper place as a disciple “behind Me.”  He is reminded of his place in the presence of Jesus.

In the course of my pastoral work, I have been tempted to assume the high, moral ground and call down the wrath of God upon an offender.  An “offender” is someone who has questioned my decision to do something.  Whenever I have done this in public, it has never had good consequences!  I berated a Director of Religious Education in one parish. . .right at the altar!  I was vested and ready to begin the evening Mass, and she had not removed the children from the sanctuary, who were practicing for a later event.  Years later in another parish, not having learned my lesson, I tore into a parishioner, whom I thought had deceived me in asking a favor.  After serious reflection in both cases, I had to apologize to them.  I grossly overreacted without thinking about my “place” in life.  I will always remember those events, and I am not proud of them.

Those weren’t the only times that I regretted exerting my clerical authority.  Luckily, in at least those two cases, I didn’t lose the people.  They contributed a great deal to the pastoral work of their parish.  The community would have been greatly affected – for the worse! – if I had simply told them to go away and not return, or if I had failed to speak to them later in a far different tone.  Jesus has a way of pulling us back into line, when we have overstepped the authority that He has given us.  We have to remember our place. . .behind Him!

This my final article in the Michigan Catholic.  I have greatly enjoyed writing this column, humbly following in the footsteps of my professor, Fr. Jack Castelot.  I am most grateful for the many years that I have been able to share some insights into the Word of God.  I have had many encouraging. . .and sometimes challenging!. . .comments from the readers of this column.  The staff of the Michigan Catholic has been very patient and helpful in accommodating my schedule, which did not always mesh with theirs.  I appreciate their kindness to me.

My personal stories were attempts to encourage you to recognize your own revelations, which God shows you each day.  He continues to reveal the path to the Kingdom of Heaven in the parables of our lives.  I leave you with the words of St. Paul: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).  Thank you, and may God bless every one of you!