Letters From Home

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. Shane Owens.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. Scott Hahn.

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Lecturas:
Jeremías 20, 7–9
Salmo 63, 2–6.8–9
Romanos 12, 1–2
Mateo 16, 21–27

La primera lectura de este domingo sorprende al profeta Jeremías en un momento de debilidad. Su íntimo lamento contiene algunas de las expresiones más fuertes de la Biblia referentes a la duda. En su seguimiento de la llamada de Dios, Jeremías se siente abandonado. Lo único que le ha acarreado la predicación de su Palabra es escarnio.

Pero Dios no engaña y Jeremías lo sabe. Él examina al justo (cf. Jr 20,11–12) y corrige a sus hijos mediante pruebas y sufrimientos (cf. Hb 12,5–7).

Lo que Jeremías aprende, Jesús lo afirma explícitamente en el Evangelio de esta semana. Seguirlo es cargar una cruz, negarte a ti mismo –tus prioridades, preferencias y comodidades.

Es estar dispuesto a renunciar a todo, incluso a la vida misma, por la causa de su Evangelio. Como dice san Pablo en su epístola, debemos unirnos a la pasión de Cristo para ofrecer nuestros cuerpos—todo nuestro ser—como sacrificios vivos a Dios.

Por su cruz, Jesús nos ha mostrado lo que los sacrificios de Israel habían de enseñar: que a Dios le debemos todo lo que tenemos.

La bondad de Dios es un bien más grande que la vida misma, como cantamos en el salmo de este domingo. La única muestra de gratitud que podemos ofrecerle es nuestra adoración espiritual: entregar nuestra vida al servicio de su voluntad (cf. Hb 10,3–11; Sal 50, 14,23).

Pedro aún no ha entendido esto en el Evangelio de hoy. Como le sucedió a Jeremías, la cruz es escándalo para Pedro (cf. 1 Co 1,23). Esa es también nuestra tentación natural: negarnos a creer que nuestros sufrimientos juegan un papel importante en el plan de Dios.

Así es como piensa la gente, nos dice Jesús esta semana. Pero estamos llamados a renovar nuestras mentes para pensar como Dios piensa, para querer lo que Él quiere.

En la Misa nos ofrecemos nuevamente como sacrificio de alabanza agradable y perfecto (cf. Hb 13,15). Bendecimos al Señor pues estamos vivos, confiados en que encontraremos nuestra vida al perderla; en que las riquezas de Su banquete satisfarán nuestra alma.

Readings:
Jeremiah 20:7–9
Psalm 63:2–6, 8–9
Romans 12:1–2
Matthew 16:21–27

Today’s First Reading catches the prophet Jeremiah in a moment of weakness. His intimate lamentation contains some of the strongest language of doubt found in the Bible. Following God’s call, he feels abandoned. Preaching His Word has brought him only derision and reproach.

But God does not deceive—and Jeremiah knows this. God tests the just (see Jeremiah 20:11–12), and disciplines His children through their sufferings and trials (see Hebrews 12:5–7).

What Jeremiah learns, Jesus states explicitly in today’s Gospel. To follow Him is to take up a cross, to deny yourself—your priorities, preferences, and comforts. It is to be willing to give it all up, even life itself, for the sake of His gospel. As Paul says in today’s Epistle, we have to join ourselves to the passion of Christ, to offer our bodies—our whole beings—as living
sacrifices to God.

By His Cross, Jesus has shown us what Israel’s sacrifices of animals were meant to teach: we owe to God all that we have.

God’s kindness is a greater good than life itself, as we sing in today’s Psalm. The only thanks we can offer is our spiritual worship—to give our lives to the service of His will (see Hebrews 10:3–11; Psalm 50:14, 23).

Peter doesn’t yet get this in today’s Gospel. As it was for Jeremiah, the cross is a stumbling block for Peter (see 1 Corinthians 1:23). This too is our natural temptation—to refuse to believe that our sufferings play a necessary part in God’s plan.

That’s how people think, Jesus tells us today. But we are called to the renewal of our minds—to think as God thinks, to will what He wills.

In the Mass, we once again offer ourselves as perfect and pleasing sacrifices of praise (see Hebrews 13:15). We bless Him as we live, confident that we will find our lives in losing them, that with the riches of His banquet, our souls will be satisfied.

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time by Mr. Clement Harrold.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Thursday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time by Ms. Joan Watson.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for the Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist by Dr. Shane Owens.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com