＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Jeremiah 20:7-9

Yahweh, you have seduced me and I let myself be seduced. 

You have taken me by force and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; they all make fun of me, for every time I speak I have to shout, “Violence! Devastation!”

Yahweh’s word has brought me insult and derision all day long. So I decided to forget about him and speak no more in his name. But his word in my heart becomes like a fire burning deep within my bones. I try so hard to hold it in, but I cannot do it.

 

Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (2b)

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Romans 12:1-2

 I beg you, dearly beloved, by the mercy of God, to give yourselves as a living and holy sacrifice pleasing to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people.

 Don’t let yourselves be shaped by the world where you live, but rather be transformed through the renewal of your mind. You must discern the will of God: what is good, what pleases, what is perfect.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 16:21-27

From that day Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem; he would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and be raised on the third day.

Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, “Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you.” But Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path. You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.”

 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself? There is nothing you can give to recover your own self.

 Know that the Son of Man will come in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels, and he will reward each one according to his deeds.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

The Prophet Jeremiah suffers ridicule as he speaks on behalf of God. Siding with God is not an honor in this world – it is a disgrace. But a child of God does not submit to the standards of this world. Jesus affirms this by facing death for God than living life for this world’s wickedness.

Reflect:

People committed to truth and justice do not need high intelligence to sense their impending death. Mahatma Gandhi was aware that, in his every move promoting peace, an angry attacker stands nearby.

In every speech Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered, there are guns readily aiming at him. It is not a matter of whether they will die, but a matter of when. It is the same with Jesus and his death.

Every time he relays a stabbing message of God, He knows His hour is coming fast. But Jesus sees God’s message far bigger than the plots to kill Him.

Pray:

We pray for all those who fight for truth, freedom, and justice that they draw more adherents than plotters to destroy their cause.

Act:

Read, watch, and if possible, talk to activist and freedom fighters. Get inspiration from the way they treat values like truth and justice as much bigger than any ridicule and death threats they receive every day.