In order to gain heaven, we must die to this world.
Sunday, Aug. 30, is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass readings: Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27.
In the Gospel, the Lord illustrates the cross as a ladder to heaven.
The text says, “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
The Lord announces the cross as well as the Resurrection — and announces the pattern of the Christian life, which we have come to call the Paschal mystery: the suffering, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus as a whole.
This is the pattern of our life: We are dying to our old self, to this world, to our sins — but rising to new life, rising to the kingdom of God and becoming victorious over sin.
Indeed, the cross brings life.
“Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, ‘God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.’ He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do,’” the Gospel continues.
Peter, of course, is not thinking this all the way through — but neither do we when we seek to avoid crosses for ourselves or to hinder others improperly from accepting their crosses. The cross brings glory and growth; we run the risk of depriving ourselves and others of these if we rush to eliminate all the demands and difficulties of life.
Jesus goes on to teach further on the wisdom of and the need for the cross: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’”
The heart of Jesus’ teaching here is a deep paradox: In order to find our life, we must lose it.
More specifically, in order to gain heaven, we must die to this world.
This life is a mere spark compared to the fire of love that God offers; it is a single note compared to the great symphony of heaven.
This guide is adapted from a past one.
