Faith, Even When it is Inconvenient

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

25 June 2017

First reading                                                                                               Jeremiah 20:10-13

Jeremiah said:

I hear so many disparaging me,

‘“Terror from every side!”

Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’

All those who used to be my friends

watched for my downfall,

‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.

Then we will master him

and take our revenge!’

But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;

my opponents will stumble, mastered,

confounded by their failure;

everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.

But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,

who scrutinise the loins and heart,

let me see the vengeance you will take on them,

for I have committed my cause to you.

Sing to the Lord,

praise the Lord,

for he has delivered the soul of the needy

from the hands of evil men.

---

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 68(69):8-10,14,17,33-35

---

Second reading                                                                                                          Romans 5:12-15

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.

  Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift.

Gospel Acclamation Alleluia, alleluia! The Word was made flesh and lived among us: to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Matthew 10:26-33

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.

  ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

  ‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

Reflection

by Benj Santiago

“Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”

In the early years of Christianity, historical information tells us that a lot of people died because of their Christian faith. In fact all the remaining 11 Apostles except for John, died a martyr’s death. They suffered persecution, and Peter, the leader of the Apostles, even got crucified upside down. Christian martyrs after the apostles abound. The Filipino martyrs Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod were tortured and killed because they were not afraid to die for their faith.

In the present day, there is not so much Christian persecution. We are so blessed that we don’t have to hide in the dark and cower in fear when we attend the Holy Mass and proclaim and celebrate our faith in Christ. We are so fortunate, especially here in the Philippines. But just in case we are to face persecution because of our faith in the present time, can we with boldness and courage proclaim our faith like the martyrs and saints did?  Maybe we could.

However, as I reflect on the Gospel, I am also being challenged in my daily life. Do I proclaim my faith in my work, in my words, in my actions and dealings with other people?  Do I proclaim my faith even when it is inconvenient and disadvantageous for myself?

Prayer

Father in heaven, we thank You for sending us Your Son and all the saints to be our model of faith. We ask You to bless us with the same courage to strongly and boldly proclaim our faith - from the real threat to the littlest things we do in our daily life. This we ask in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.