A GODLY, HOLY AND SACRIFICIAL LIFE

First Reading: Jer 20:7-9
Second Reading: Rom 12:1-2
Gospel: Mt 16:21-27

We are on the first Sunday of the month of September. As this month is dedicated to our lady of sorrows and particularly to reflect upon the life of cross, the readings of today are about embracing the life of Cruciformity. For us Christians, life is about taking up one’s cross and following Jesus (Mt 16:24). In the first reading we have prophet Jeremiah who laments about his unbearable suffering. He says that God has seduced him (Jer 21:7). Moreover he says that it is he who has allowed himself to be seduced by God. Consequently, now God has strong control over him than Jeremiah himself. When God called Jeremiah to the prophetic ministry, Jeremiah refused to take up, as this work may bring lot of enmity and hatred even from his colleagues. After 40 years of his prophetic ministry in Judah, now Jeremiah says that he has earned as much rejection, hatred and denouncement as possible. He has reached a stage which he foresaw at the beginning of his call to the prophetic ministry. At that time looking forward to this day Jeremiah hesitated to take up this ministry. Today looking back from this day to all that God has done through Him, he says that he wants to stop this ministry yet he could not stop it. Because, it is no more Jeremiah who is doing all this but God who is acting through him. It is similar to St. Paul who says “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20). Prior to letting God to work in oneself everyone is afraid about the consequence it would bring. In that prior stage when one foresees the consequence, it terrifies because at that stage s/he views it from the perspective of human as s/he has not yet been seduced by God.  In the post Godly life one feels sorry for the consequence that it has lead her/him to, but rejoices over the way in which s/he is able to go through all that. This is what has happed to prophet Jeremiah now. He laments as well as rejoices. For he has reached a stage wherein he is able to withstand all the denouncements even if that terrifies him, because now he looks from godly perspective. Now he sees as God sees (Cf. Is 55:8). When God takes control of us we are fully transformed. This is what St. Paul urges in the second reading. He calls us to be transformed so that we may discern what is good and acceptable to God (Rom 12:2). Jeremiah condemned the displeasing worship of Judah. On the other hand, his very life, his life wholly with God has become a worship. All his ministry, suffering, endurance, hope and body have become worthy sacrifice. St. Paul calls for this kind of sacrifice. Let our whole self become a living sacrifice.   

In the gospel we have Peter who sees Jesus from human perspective. He is against the bodily sacrifice of Jesus as worship. Peter stands as stumbling block for Jesus (Mt 16:23). He is at the early stage of prophet Jeremiah who refused to accept the demands of the ministry.  In his humanness Peter is a hindrance to God’s mission. Whenever we bring our human point of view in doing God’s work we see hindrance, blocks and discouragements. God’s mission cannot be done with humanness alone. Each wine has to be preserved with its prescribed wineskins. And so, for God’s work we need godly perspective. Jesus sees cross as victory because He is one with the Father. Peter sees cross as block because he is with his humanness. Later, this same Peter would gladly accept crucifixion to bear witness to His master Jesus. From his humanness, Peter would go onto grow in godliness. Jeremiah in his humanness hesitated to take up the prophetic call but at the culmination of his prophetic ministry he stands with godliness to say that God has overpowered Him wherein he cannot stop doing this ministry. He is fully infused by the spirit of God. The saints who got transformed by the Lord offered up their life, body and spirit as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1). Doing God’s will in one’s life with a zeal that s/he cannot be without doing so is a sign of godliness.

We need to note that St. Paul speaks about presenting one’s body as holy sacrifice. In this world of impurity one needs to guard the holiness of her/his body. The bodily purity paves way for internal purity. We have great example from the life of Tobias and Sarah who prayed to God before consummating their marriage with the sexual union. They offered their sexual union as a holy sacrifice to God. They could see their bodily union as an expression of singleness of heart than lust (Tob 8:7). They could see their sexual union as fulfilling of God’s will in the sacrament of marriage. They have arisen from their humanness to godliness. Today the bodily union of husband and wife are reduced to materialistic view. We need to bring godliness into the intimacy of couples. This is the cross one needs to take up. Or else we become a hindrance to God’s work. In the beginning we may be terrified or ashamed for embracing such a kind of life but at the culmination of the godly life we feel one with Jeremiah and say we want to stop living such a demanding and crucified life yet, the burning zeal with oneself could not allow it to do so. This is a life of Cruciformity: seeing the cross as a barrier in the beginning but realizing the fruitfulness of it at the end. May we take care of our humanness which may be a hindrance to our godly life. Let our Cruciformed life be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

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