Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Homily)
August 14, 2016 11:00 am · Sergio Muñoz Fita
Today's readings are not cheerful. In the first reading we hear of Jeremiah, who was faithful to God in every way. He spoke God's message to God's people. He was rewarded by being thrown down into a cistern and left to die. I am sure that some of us feel like Jeremiah at times. By the way, Jeremiah's prophesy was correct. Because of the resistance of the Jews, the Babylonians completely destroyed Jerusalem and led to the Babylonian exile.
In the Gospel we hear of Jesus, the greatest prophet ever. St Luke tells us that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, knowing fully well what lay ahead of him. Jesus described it in three ways, as a fire he would release upon the Earth, the baptism He would receive, and the division that He would cause in the world. Today's Gospel shows us another side of Jesus, not the peaceful shepherd, but the Christ of fire and flame. His disciples, and we claim to be His disciples, need to know that following Him is difficult. You know that today we are celebrating the feast of St. Maximilian Colby the Polish priest that sacrificed his life in the concentration camp of Auschwitz on August 14 1941 to save the life of a brother in Christ. Christian life is difficult. To bear witness to the light in this world in darkness doesn't come without a price.