August 31-September 6
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
What a beautiful first reading from the prophet Jeremiah! In this reading Jeremiah speaks about how God "duped" him and was too strong for him. Did you ever feel duped by God? What kinds of things did God get you into - that you never imagined? In my experience, at such times, God also gives me the graces that I need. I only need to trust in God's grace and assistance.
Also, in today's first reading, Jeremiah says that God and God's word "becomes like a fire burning in his heart". Jeremiah grows weary of holding it in. Sometimes, God speaks so loudly, we cannot help but speak with conviction of God's love and action in our lives!
The Responsorial Psalm is a favorite of mine: "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God...O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water." What a beautiful prayer that expresses our yearning for God!
The Gospel reading today challenges us. The Gospel reminds us that just as Jesus had to take up his cross, suffer and die, we, as followers of Jesus, are also asked to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. How does the cross come to us? In one more request at the end of the day? In patience during a stressful time? In accepting the pain and suffering? In what other ways? Let us trust God's saving help!
Sister Rose Jochmann
August 24-30
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
"A ROCK FOR ROCKY TIMES"
Outside of many churches these days, I see a large black granite or sandstone rock with the Ten Commandments on one side and the Beatitudes on the other side. Being a person who likes to memorize a few things, I have wondered how many people have committed these words to memory. I wonder what just the image of a rock can signify?
When I go biking in Memorial Park in Appleton, there is the image of a young woman cast in metal -"Ironwoman" I call her. I was wondering what it is that truly makes us "Ironwomen" or "Ironmen"?
As I reflected on the Gospel for this Sunday, I was caught by the words, "Peter, the rock". The image of a rock suggests stability, strength, and permanence.
Jesus addresses Simon by a nickname, "Peter", meaning "Rocky" and promises to build his church on this "rock". The church built on Peter is to be a place of stability, strength, and permanence. However, Peter wasn't exactly an image of stability with having "little faith", being called "Satan" by Jesus, and denying Jesus three times.
What would transform "Rocky" into "Rock" was his personal relationship with the Spirit of the risen Jesus. Peter became a courageous preacher, an exemplar of the forgiven sinner, a martyr with "great faith" and the rock on which the church will stand.
If God can transform the impulsive, wavering Simon into Peter, the rock of stability, then surely God can transform us into strong and steadfast images of the crucified and risen Jesus.
Sister Annette Koss
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