Dear friends the readings today offer us an opportunity to reflect on the challenges, surrender, and transformation inherent in a life of faith in God and our Lord Jesus Christ. They remind us of things we find difficult to cope with or accept in our experience of faith but are essential to our spiritual growth and relationship with God.
In the first reading, we hear about the inner conflict of prophet Jeremiah because of the oppositions around him. In his inner conflict, He would wish to stop his prophetic ministry and be silent instead of making enemies by his preaching. But he cannot help but proclaim the word of the Lord because the fire of God’s word in him was alive. In the face of adversity, Jeremiah finds solace in the fire of God’s truth burning within him.
In the second reading, St Paul tells us about the transformational power which comes with offering ourselves as living sacrifices to God, i.e., the power of surrendering oneself to God’s will. This act of surrender involves renewing our minds and rejecting conformity to the patterns of the world.
In the gospel reading, Jesus revealed to his disciples the message of his impending suffering and death. This happened after Simon Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, for which Jesus conferred on him the position of head of the Church. It wasn’t a palatable news to hear. The message wasn’t acceptable to them. Peter’s reaction highlights the tension between human desires and God’s divine plan and Jesus’ response underscores the necessity of denying oneself, taking up the cross, and following him. That means surrendering ourselves to God’s will.
We are reminded that as long as the journey of faith is concerned, we will have moments to face our internal struggle, but we will be transformed by the Lord when we look past them, renounce any selfish desires and accept the daily crosses we carry behind Jesus our Lord. His yoke is easy and His burden light for those who trust Him.