2023-09-03 SJBC Sunday VMass – 22nd Sunday In Ordinary Time

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME TODAY’S READING First Reading - (Jeremiah 20:7-9) The name of the Lord has become like fire burning in Jeremiah’s heart Psalm - (Psalm 63) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God Second Reading - (Romans 12:1-2) Be transformed; renew your mind; discern what is good Gospel - (Matthew 16:21-27) Those who lose their lives for Jesus’ sake will find them THE CROSS OF JESUS The perception of a cross changed dramatically after Jesus’ crucifixion. Before that event, death on a cross was not only horrible, it was degrading. It was a penalty reserved only for the most wretched of criminals. The word “glory” would not have found its way into the same sentence containing the word “cross.” But all that changed with Jesus. Over time, believers began to venerate and honor the cross. They painted, sculpted, and carved images of it. Many lost their own lives for their association with it. Today our reverence for and relationship with the cross recalls little of the contempt originally associated with it. As it has been through the ages, it is our perception of the cross that determines how we follow Jesus.