SUNDAY AUGUST 30, 2026 TWENTY - SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. YEAR A
1st Reading: (Jeremiah 20:7-9)
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Ps 63:2.3-4.5-6.8–9 (R. cf.2ab)
2nd Reading: (Romans 12:1-2)
Gospel: (Matthew 16:21-27)
In today's readings, we have been called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.
As a living sacrifice, like Jeremiah in the first reading.
As a living sacrifice, like Jesus in the gospel.
What does it mean to be a living sacrifice, yet holy and acceptable to God?
Being a living sacrifice means that we have chosen to be on the side of God rather than on the side of men.
To go with Jesus is to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him.
This is what modern-day Christianity is not ready to accept.
In the new Christian world, we want to follow Jesus, but not when it comes with suffering.
Today's Christianity is all about prosperity.
Breakthrough.
Today, Christianity has fallen in love with prosperity.
We compete for wealth.
Holiness is hardly talked about.
We have fallen in love with materialism.
We seek wealth and must get it at all costs.
For us Catholics, it should not be the same.
We must listen to St Augustine, who has this to say;
"To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement."
-- Saint Augustine -
Our only model remains Jesus.
Let us not just speak about him; let our actions reflect him
Today, so many are not ready to be a living sacrifice.
Ave!!
Bro Stanley Oregie
"For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?"
These very words are at the heart of Jesus' call to discipleship. While it is not possible to gain the whole world, Jesus insists that not even the whole world is worth the value of a life. Hmmm! What this means is that if I put a life and the whole world on a balance, a life weighs far more than the whole world. But the foolishness of man becomes more apparent when I realise that what I mostly spend my life chasing is usually just a pinch of "the whole world". The serious question I must stop to ask myself then is: is the chase really worth it?
Jesus goes further to raise an even more crucial question: "What shall a man give in return for his life?" In other words, given that I gained "the whole world", I can't present it to God in exchange for my life when an account is made for it. So, all my cars, estates, degrees, wealth and babes for which I tell lies, kill, blackmail and cheat cannot stand in exchange for my life.
Why, then, don't I see that when I spend my life in pursuit of the "whole world" at the expense of my life, I am actually giving so much for so little?
Lord, remove the blinders from my eyes that I may seek your purpose and will in all things. Amen.
But He Turned And Said To Peter, Get Behind Me, Satan! You Are A Hindrance To Me.
Greetings brethren!
God's word has come to us yet again.
In the first reading, Jeremiah felt deceived by God. He felt that God called him to do His work by speaking and converting the Israelites to God, and at the same time God abandoned him, and the people now make mockery of him. He now assumed the word of God as a reproach and derision to him. But was it really so? The answer is no.
The second reading appeals to us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable to God. It is only when we do so that we now worship God in the Spirit. It is also urging us not to live to the standard of this world, because we do not belong to this world. As children of the Most High God, we are to be living up to the Heavenly standard, doing God's will and keeping the Heavenly principles at every given point in time.
In the Gospel, Jesus told His disciples all that He must suffer at the hands of the elders. Peter rebuked Him for saying that. Jesus proves to Peter that He must undergo all that in order for us to obtain salvation.
Dear brethren, if our Lord Jesus Christ could undergo all that for man's sake, what makes you and l think we can escape it if we must be at the right hand of Jesus after our lives here on Earth?
If Jesus is your role model in faith, then do not be scared of the persecutions of this life; they help to prepare us for our salvation.
It is not easy, but with God, all things are possible.
Blessings always
My Sharing
Today, Jesus reminds us that following Him is not always a journey of comfort, but a journey of faith, sacrifice, obedience, and trust in God’s will.
Peter loved Jesus and wanted to protect Him from suffering, yet his good intention was not aligned with God’s plan. This teaches us that sometimes, what we think is best may not be what God has planned for us. We must therefore learn to trust God, even when His ways are difficult to understand.
When Jesus says; Take up your cross and follow me, He reminds us that every Christian has a cross to carry. It may be a difficult season, a sacrifice, a disappointment, a responsibility, or a trial that tests our faith. But we should never forget that the cross is not the end; the resurrection is coming.
Jesus also challenges us to ask ourselves: What is the value of gaining everything in this world if we lose our soul? Wealth, success, recognition, and material possessions are temporary, but our relationship with God has eternal value.
May we have the courage to choose God’s will over our own desires, remain faithful in difficult seasons, and never allow the struggles of life to separate us from Christ.
Ekenemaria Eze
In the Gospel reading, Jesus rebukes Peter with the words, “ _Get behind me, Satan,”_ after Peter rejected the idea of a suffering Messiah. Although Peter had rightly confessed Jesus as the Son of God, he still understood the Messiah in worldly terms as a conquering king. Jesus reminds him that discipleship means following Christ’s way, not trying to lead Him according to human expectations.
Peter’s experience is a caution to all who exercise authority in the Church, in families, and in education: even those called to lead can become stumbling blocks when they place human ideas above God’s will. Yet, by God’s grace, failure can be overcome. Like Peter, the Church can also be tempted to measure success by worldly standards, but Christ teaches that true discipleship may involve suffering, sacrifice, and apparent failure. Jesus therefore went to Jerusalem, fully aware of the suffering that awaited Him, because faithfulness to His mission mattered more than worldly success.
REFLECTION
The readings of tomorrow invite each and every one of us to surrender ourselves completely to God, remain faithful to Him even when the journey becomes difficult, and be willing to make sacrifices to live according to His will.
Dear friends in Christ, the first Reading from the Prophet Jeremiah teaches us that serving God is not, and will not be, easy. Despite the Prophet experiencing rejection and suffering, he did not abandon his mission because God's word burns within him. Dear friends in Christ, this attitude of the prophet should remind us that our commitment to God must remain strong even when we face difficulties and challenges.
And that is why, like the Responsorial Psalm, we must always express a deep thirst and longing for God in all we do; just as a dry land thirsts for water, our souls must continually need God's presence, love and guidance in all our endeavours.
That is why we are called, just like St Paul, to offer our lives to God as a living sacrifice, and encouraged not to follow the ways of the world, but to allow God to transform our minds and help us discern what is good and pleasing to Him always.
Nevertheless, we are encouraged to follow Christ, and following him involves carrying our cross daily; Christ also teaches us that true discipleship requires sacrifice, self-denial, and putting God's will before our own desires. Gaining worldly success means little if we lose sight of our relationship with God.
Therefore, friends in Christ, let us challenge ourselves today by asking ourselves: are we truly willing to follow God even when it is difficult? Let us know that our faith is not only about receiving blessings from God, but it is also about trusting Him during trials, making sacrifices, renewing our minds, and remaining faithful to His will.
Finally, dear friends, let God grant us the courage to carry our crosses, the strength to remain faithful in difficult moments, and the grace to offer our lives completely to God. Amen.
Today is a day of salvation; oh, oh, that today you listen to his voice; harden not your hearts. May God bless his words in our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen.
