3 September 2017

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Ps 62:2-6, 8-9
Romans 12:1-2
The Gospel of Matthew 16:21-27

Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

  Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?

  ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’

You are not judging by God’s standards but by man’s

When the Lord commits the person wanting to follow him to renounce himself, we think his commandment is difficult and hard to hear. But if the one who commands us also helps us to fulfil it, his commandment is neither difficult nor painful… And that other word the Lord spoke is also true: “My yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Mt 11:30) For love sweetens what might be painful in the precepts. We all know what marvels love can accomplish… What rigors have people endured, what unworthy and intolerable living conditions have they borne so as to be able to possess the object of their love! …Why be surprised that someone who loves Christ and wants to follow him renounces himself in order to love him? For if the a person loses himself by loving himself, there is no doubt that he will find himself by renouncing himself…

Who would refuse to follow Christ to the dwelling place of perfect happiness, of supreme peace and of eternal tranquility? It is good to follow him there. But we have to know the way in order to arrive… The path seems to you to be covered with rough patches, it puts you off, you don’t want to follow Christ. Walk behind him! The path, which we have laid is rugged but it was made level when Christ walked upon it as he returned to heaven. So who would refuse to go forward towards glory?
St. Augustine, Sermon 96

Saints of the week
Fri 8 Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast 
Sat 9 Saint Peter Claver and Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary  

Psalter Week II

Next Sunday’s Readings
Ezekiel 33:7-9
Ps 94
Rom 13:8-10
Mt 18:15-20

St. Peter Claver, Slave of the Negroes

Peter Claver was born in Spain in 1581. When he was 23, he entered the Jesuit novitiate. One day, Alfonso Rodriguez, a saintly door-keeper at the college in Majorca learned from God about our future saint’s mission to preach in the Spanish lands in America and Peter, heeding such vision, went to Cartagena in the Caribbean to evangelize the African slaves. The missionaries could not suppress slavery, but did their best to alleviate it. When the slave boats arrived, Peter went out with provisions, showing kindness and defending the slaves against their oppressors, thus winning their confidence. Father Claver soon assembled a group of catechists of various nationalities to teach the slaves while they waited to be purchased. Inevitably, this work caused him severe trials such as the enmity of the slave merchants and persecution by some people who did not want to see negroes in the Church; but accepting all humiliations, Peter even added rigorous penances to his works of charity. Abandoned by men, God gave him strength to continue this work for over forty years, it is said that he baptized more than 300,000 negroes. No one worked more heroically than Peter Claver, he even declared himself “the slave of the negroes forever.” He was beatified 16 July, 1850, by Pius IX, and canonized 15 January, 1888, by Leo XIII along with Alfonso Rodriguez.

St. Peter Claver, pray for us.

 

CARITAS PAPHOS currently needs:

• Nοn-perishable food to support approximately 40 households a week in the Paphos area.
• Computer whiz to manage crowdfunding appeals.
• Teachers for basic Greek.
• Transportation of students (lifts).

Prayers and donations always help. Contact Wendy Burdon 99 040294.

Archangel Michael Hospice: Volunteers needed in the areas of reception, nursing assistants and cafeteria. Contact Mona (99 494 140).

Mass Times HERE