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HOMILIES ARCHIVE
HOMILIES
Dear Audience,For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!
Twenty Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)
145
3
0First Reading
A reading from the first Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (20:7-9)
You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.
Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violent and outrage is my message; the word of the Lord has brought me derision and reproach all the day.
I say to myself, I will not mention Him, I will speak in His name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms of David (63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9)
(R) 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. (R)
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. (R)
Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. (R)
You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy. My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me. (R)
Second Reading
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (12:1-2)
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Gospel
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew (16:21-27)
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priest, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit one's life? Or what can one give in exchange for one's life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct."
(P) The Gospel of the Lord.(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
A man once approached a wise monk and said, "Master, I'm really having trouble with my family living together in our small house. My wife, my three kids, my mother-in-law and myself, are all sharing the same little cottage. What do you think I should do?" The monk thought for a minute and then asked the man, "Do you have any chickens in your yard?" The man was a bit surprised by the question, but answered, "Yes, I have ten. Put them in the house," said the monk. "But master," the man exclaimed, "our house is already cramped as it is! You asked me for my advice. This is my advice. Just try it," replied the monk.
The man, desperate to find a solution to his woes, followed the monk's advice. A couple of days later, he visited the monk again and said in a pained voice, "Master, things are even worse now. With the chickens in the house, we are even more pressed for space." The monk asked the man, "Do you have any donkeys?" The man was surprised again at this question. "I have one," he replied. "Well then, bring the donkey into the house," the monk advised. The man's eyes widened and he bemoaned and objected. But after a while, the monk convinced him to try his way.
A few days later, the man, now looking more distressed than ever, came back and said, "Master, now my home is even more crowded! Between my family, my chickens and donkey there is barely any room to move. With all the noise and the smell of the animals, we can hardly sleep! I see," the monk said after a minute of thought. "Well then, do you have any other animals in your yard?" "Yes," the man replied slowly, "I have a goat. Great," said the monk. "Take the goat into your house too." The man blew up at the monk in frustration but followed the monk's advice anyway. The very next day, the man came back angry, furious and yelling, "Master, my family is really upset now. Everyone is at my throat whining and complaining about the noise, smell and lack of space. Your plan is a terrible one and is making us nothing but miserable." The monk smiled gently and said, "Now, go home, and put all the animals back outside." With a big sigh of relief, the man followed the monk's advice.
A couple of days later, the monk ran into the man on the street. "So, how are things now?" the monk asked. Beaming with happiness, the man replied, "Master, your plan has worked like a charm! With all the animals out, my house is so spacious that we can't believe we complained about the lack of space before. We're all living so happily now!" The monk rubbed his beard and smiled.
What really happened? The man came complaining about his house being too small. The monk asked the man to bring all his animals into the house. The house became unbearably crowded, smelly, and noisy and, everyone in the family began to complain and protest. When the monk asked the man to take all the animals out of the house, suddenly and "magically", the house felt spacious and comfortable. So, what really changed? Did the situation change for the man? Did the house become bigger? Did the number of members in the family reduce? The answer to all the questions is "No". Nothing changed, except the way it was seen. The moral of the story is that when we change how we think, we change how we live. This core idea echoes consistently throughout St. Paul's letters, including his letter to the Romans. Paul teaches that true transformation happens when we stop letting the world mold us and instead allow God to renew our minds.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul addresses a mixed community of Jewish and Gentile Christians, experiencing tension, and facing intense cultural and social pressures to conform to the surrounding Greco-Roman culture characterized by self-indulgence, pagan rituals, moral compromise, and the glorification of power and pleasure. In the first 11 chapters of his letter, Paul explains the core foundational Christian doctrines of human sin and guilt, God's justification and grace, new life and freedom, and God's plan for Israel and the world. He carefully details how humanity is broken, how God saves all people - both Jews and Gentiles - not through their own good works, but entirely as a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ, the promised descendant of Abraham, and how His Spirit empowers all believers to live holy, righteous lives in true freedom.
In chapter 12, Paul transitions from theological doctrines to practical application and everyday Christian living. We read a part of that exhortation in today's second reading, Romans (12:1-2). Paul begins by urging believers to respond to the "mercies of God" that is, God's saving work, grace, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace, by "offering their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship", Romans (12:1). Here, Paul encourages believers to continuously dedicate their entire lives - their thoughts, words, time, choices, relationships, and works to God, as a heartfelt response to His abundant mercies. Because God gave His best, Jesus Christ, for them, they should hold nothing back. Their dedication should be such that it is holy, acceptable, and brings joy to God, just like a pure offering in ancient times, for it alone is true and proper act of worship.
Paul further exhorts the believers "not to conform themselves to this age." "To conform" means to behave, fit in, or comply with rules, standards, laws, or expectations of a group or system. "This age" refers to a particular period in history understood according to its values, beliefs, morals, and technologies. So, Paul's exhortation to "not to conform to this age" implies that believers must understand their contemporary culture and actively choose to avoid being shaped or influenced by the values, beliefs, and morals that their culture holds. At the time of Paul, Christians in Rome faced immense pressure to worship the Roman gods or the emperor, join pagan rituals, and follow cruel social and moral practices that directly conflicted with Christian teachings. Non-conformity led to social isolation, legal persecution, horrific tortures, and execution because their refusal was viewed as treason, subversion, and a threat to the stability of the empire. Despite their suffering and persecution, Paul calls them to resist conforming to the culture around them.
Instead, Paul asks believers to "be transformed by the renewal of their minds." The "renewal of the mind" means undergoing a deep, internal spiritual transformation that changes a person's thoughts, values, perspectives, and desires away from worldly patterns and aligns them with God's truth instead. Here, Paul uses a passive voice imperative, "be transformed" rather than an active voice command "transform yourself", which means that he wants believers to allow God, through the Holy Spirit and His Word, to change them from the inside out rather than relying on pure human will power or automatic change. Thus, this transformation becomes a continuous, active partnership with God. While God continues to work the transformation, believers must choose to yield their will daily. At the end, Paul points out that the renewal of the mind enables believers to discern God's will, which is characterized by three distinct qualities: good, pleasing or acceptable, and perfect.
God's will is "good" means that God's plan for believers is completely beneficial, morally upright, free of harm, and ultimately for their well-being. God's will is "acceptable" or "pleasing" means that God's plan for believers is fully approved by God and brings Him ultimate satisfaction and delight. God's will is "perfect" means that God's plan for believers is complete, mature, and ultimately better than any worldly alternative.
The Book of Lamentations in the Old Testament records the Prophet Jeremiah saying, "The Lord's acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not spent; they are renewed each morning - great is your faithfulness!, Lamentations (3:22-23). It means that even when we face the painful results of sin, God keeps us from being completely destroyed. His love and mercy do not run dry. Instead, He gives a fresh supply of grace at the start of each day. He remains faithful even when we fail Him. God's mercies are abundant and they are extended to both the whole world and each person individually.
His mercies include physical mercies like the gift of life, breath, physical body with the capacity to feel, work, heal, and love, relationships, community, daily provisions, guidance, and protection, and spiritual mercies such as God's Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Scriptures, the Church, the Holy Spirit, the Sacraments, forgiveness of sins, inner peace, and the gift of eternal salvation.
Remembering God's mercies is vital because it naturally awakens a deep and lasting gratitude in our hearts, strengthens our trust, rekindles our hope, brings inner peace, deepens our love for others, and helps us overcome anxieties, fears, and hopelessness. Therefore, let us move from knowing about God's mercies intellectually to experiencing them personally by actively recalling and remembering them every day. At the same time, in response to the mercies we have already received and receive every day from the Lord, let us offer our whole body - the totality of who we are - including our thoughts, choices, actions, time, talents, relationships, belongings, wealth, sexuality, desires, and attractions. Instead of a ritual offering, let us completely surrender our wills to God and live as a "living sacrifice, holy, and pleasing to God" which is considered true and proper worship.
The outward culture may have changed drastically since the time of Paul, transforming everything from social norms, structures, beliefs, and values, yet the inward pressure to conform to the surrounding world remains exactly the same. So, let St. Paul's exhortation to the Romans be a reminder for us to stay vigilant and guard our hearts and minds against subtle, everyday pressures and influences of the world, including social media metrics (likes, followers, views) secular society, consumerism, materialism, popularity, and independent culture and intentionally refuse to be shaped by them. Instead, let us give our everyday life, choices, and energy to God as a true act of worship and let Him transform our thinking so we can understand what He wants - which is good, pleasing and perfect.
God Bless You!
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