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Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading I: Jeremiah 20:7‑9 1. Little Samuel was a brilliant Jewish 10 year old, who continued to get poor results in his school. His mother enrolled him in the local Catholic parochial school. In his
very first semester, he was at the top of the class and scored 100% in math. His mother who knew his mental capacity asked him why he suddenly decided to apply himself. Well, Sam replied, when I walked into class,
the first thing I saw was this man nailed to two pieces of wood. I said to myself, Oy ve, these people mean business, serious business. So I applied myself.
2. When Jesus told Peter to carry the cross, he meant business, serious business. And it applies today to all of us who glory in the name of Christian. But we have seen the Crucifix so often, that it takes a person from another faith, like 10 year Samuel to bring the seriousness of this invitation to us. Like Peter we shy away from the intensity. Peter thought that following Christ was a piece of cake, it would be copasetic. He had seen Jesus multiply the loaves and fish cure the blind, lame, deaf cast out demons. walking on the water was a bit scary, but he could work with that. So when Jesus started speaking about the denying themselves, picking up the cross and following Jesus, it was a bit too much. It was like throwing the cat among the pigeons. He decided that he must give Jesus a short course on Public Relations. It would be like Councillor Thompson advising the police to search the African-Canadians for guns, or Pat Robertson declaring that President Hugo Chavez should be taken out. Peter wanted to tell Jesus that he would loose his popularity and take a fall in the opinion polls. Besides it was only just now that Jesus had asked him, “Who do people say that I am?” However, Peter was stopped in his tracks. He instead received a short course in salvation theology. “Your ways are not the ways of God.” 3. Many centuries before, Jeremiah has similar feeling to what Peter feels in today’s Gospel. God has chosen him as a prophet. But Jeremiah knew this meant it would cost him his comfortable and accepted status in society. It would make him foolish to go against the rulers and nobility in his society. He would rather grow old in the company of his wife and children with the hope of seeing grandchildren one day. But once again, Jeremiah’s way of thinking did not jive with God’s way of thinking. The New Testament scholar, Reginald Fuller tells us that the Old Testament scholars set great store by their miraculous powers and visionary experiences. Jeremiah however was more a prophet of the New Testament before his time. The New Testament prophets were characterized by Witnessing to the truth by suffering. You can see that in Paul’s life. He was shipwrecked, nearly beaten unto death thrice, thrown in prison, stoned and left for dead. This is the type of life, Jeremiah knew was in store for himself many centuries before. It is no wonder he would like Peter want to run away. But the Word of God, the Call of God to prophecy is like a fire that burns within and it cannot be stopped or put out. It reminds one of the poem Sea Fever by John Masefield. I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; 4. However the reality of life is that the Cross is always there whether we choose it or not. It has been a part of the fabric of human life ever since, as human beings, we chose to be selfish, caring for ourselves and insensitive to the needs of others and their feelings. We have the choice like Peter to shy away from it, or like Jesus to accept it, even though he would rather not. (Father let this chalice pass me by, but not my will, but thine be done.) 4a However, while I was thinking about having to carry the cross - I realise that a lot of people are already carrying the cross. Jennifer is a 15 year old who has been going to the hospital regularly over the past year. Two weeks ago, her mother died of cancer. The mother was only 38 years old. But now Jennifer has to cope with her father: He has become so depressed that he just sits in the house and drinks. Jennifer has not had time to deal with her own grief, she has to cope with her father as well. When she heard the sermon on having to carry the cross, she just broke down and cried. 4b Mary and Patrick Jones have four children. Mary has managed to wake up and clean and feed the children by 9:30. She is just putting on her make up when Joey tells her that little PJ has messed up his diapers again. While she changes the diaper, she notices that out of the corner of her eye, Billy has put on a T-shirt which says BEACH BUM. Billy remove that T-shirt and put on the clean striped shirt which I have ironed for you. But mummy if I wear that all the 12 year old will call me a nerd. Meanwhile, 15 year old Joanne puts more pressure on her mum. Why do I have to go to church it is so boring. Mary and Patrick manage to get to church by 10:00 there is no parking space, so Patrick drops his family off at the church and drives round the block, parks the car and runs back to squeeze in with his family. Then they hear the priest tell them: Mary and Patrick you must carry your cross. She does not say it, but you can picture Mary saying: You get married and have four children and you will know what it is to carry the cross. 5. Most of us have experiences of carrying the cross which is in between the experiences of Jennifer and the Jones family. And you will carry the Cross because like Jeremiah - there is a fire burning within you, and the courage of the Spirit to hold you when you think you are falling apart. The news media and the prophets of doom keep on telling us that the church is irrelevant and fewer people are going to church. However, like in Jeremiah’s time, there will always be a remnant, the faithful few that like 10 old Samuel, will realise that Carrying the Cross means business, serious business. They will give meaning to the Church and all the rest of us who continue to tag along.
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