22/08/2026
Peace to everyone! Let us offer our lives to God and await His reward...
August 30, 2026: Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel: MATTHEW 16: 21-27
21 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.
Q: What was Jesus telling to His disciples?
22 Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
Q: But what did Peter do? What did he say to Jesus?
Note: remember last Sunday’s Gospel wherein Simon Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ
23 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."
Q: What was Jesus’ reply to Peter?
Note: Satan – anyone who is an obstacle to the plan of God
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
Q: Then, what did Jesus teach about discipleship?
note: Jesus’ cross was His mission to suffer and die but rise again. His disciples must also be ready to give up one’s comfort zone, even his life, in order to carry on his mission. This is following Him. Then, this disciple will rise again in glory.
5 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Q: What will happen to those who save their lives? But who will find their lives?
26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
Q: What will happen to those who seek to gain the whole world? What did He ask to ponder about life?
27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."
Q: What was the promise of Jesus, the Son of Man?
Key points/summary: Jesus’ mission of His passion, death and resurrection; Peter’s rebuke; deny self, carry cross and follow Jesus; lose life for Jesus; find life; Son of Man will come with His angels; repay according to conduct
Reading 1: JEREMIAH 20: 7-9
7 You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.
Q: What were the sentiments of Jeremiah?
8 Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violence and outrage is my message; the word of the LORD has brought me derision and reproach all the day.
Q: What was the mission/prophecy that the Lord gave to Jeremiah?
9 I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
Q: What happened when Jeremiah tried to stop doing his mission?
Key points/summary: persecution of Jeremiah as prophet of the Lord; wanted to stop his mission; like fire in heart; cannot endure Word of the Lord
Connection of Gospel and 1st reading: In the Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples how to be His true followers. They must know what their mission is and that the mission is not easy but with sufferings. Jesus told them what He will undergo – His passion, death and resurrection. Peter did not listen to the last phrase – be raised on the 3rd day, so he protested. But Jesus emphasized that His follower must deny themselves even their lives in fulfilling their cross or mission for Jesus’ sake. When Jesus comes with His angels, He will repay His true followers accordingly.
In the 1st reading, Jeremiah was like Peter. Because he was young when called by the Lord to prophesy, he wanted to back out when persecutions came his way. However, Jeremiah became like a follower of Jesus as he went on with his mission when he felt the power of the Lord within him.
Reading 2: ROMANS 12: 1-2
1 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Q: What did Paul want that the Romans do?
2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
Q: What should the Romans stop doing? But what must they do instead? Why should they transform and renew their minds?
Key points/summary: bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; not conform with this world; transformed by renewal of mind; discern will of God; good, pleasing and perfect
Connection of 3 readings: In the 2nd reading, Paul adds as he urges the Romans, that a true follower of Jesus offers his body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. One’s mind must also be transformed and renewed in order to discern the will of God. When one knows the will of God and transforms his mind, he will be able to deny himself, carry his cross and follow Jesus.
There are 2 forces among the readings: the force of Satan and the will of God. Peter followed the force of Satan by disagreeing with the plan of Jesus, Jeremiah was being mocked while in the 2nd reading, the Romans were being tempted by the forces of the world. The will of God is to deny oneself, carry cross and follow Jesus, the fire burning within Jeremiah and offer bodies as living sacrifice. If one follows the will of God, Jesus will repay him/her with his glory.
The readings teach us that we all have missions to accomplish. We must discern the will of God, offer one’s body, think as God thinks and do what is good, pleasing and perfect. When Jesus comes again, one will be repaid accordingly.
Hibla: Obeying the will of God will lead us to glory with Jesus.
Application: What are we concerned of in this life – the will of God or our wants?
What did we sacrifice or give up that resulted into a contented or happy life or a reward?
Responsorial Psalm: PS 63
"My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God."
Hibla + resp Psalm: Obeying the will of God leading to glory with Jesus is the soul thirsting for the Lord.
Ctto Bro Norman Garcia
