Aug 30- Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
As we celebrate the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus gives us an invitation that is simple to hear, but challenging to live:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Following Christ was never meant to be something we do only when it is easy.
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples openly that the road ahead will involve suffering, sacrifice, and ultimately the Cross. Peter struggles to accept this, because like so many of us, he wants a path without suffering. But Jesus reveals something deeper: discipleship means trusting God enough to follow Him even when the road is difficult.
To “take up our cross” does not mean searching for suffering. It means choosing Christ in the midst of whatever life places before us. It is remaining faithful when faith is difficult. Forgiving when it would be easier to hold onto hurt. Serving when no one notices. Loving when it costs us something. And continuing to walk with Jesus even when we cannot see where He is leading.
Jeremiah describes the Word of God as something like a fire burning within him something he simply cannot contain. St. Paul challenges us not to conform ourselves to the world, but to allow God to transform us by the renewing of our minds. Together, these readings remind us that following Christ changes us. Faith cannot remain something we simply profess on Sunday; it must become something we live.
And we have already seen that faith alive within our own parish community.
A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who joined our recent Children & Youth Bible Study and Young Adults Adoration & Bible Study. What a blessing it has been to see children, youth, young adults, adults, and families coming together around God’s Word, prayer, faith, and fellowship! New Bible Study dates will be announced soon, and everyone is welcome to join us.
We are also preparing to welcome those who feel called to discover the Catholic faith through our 2026–2027 RCIA Program, beginning Sunday, September 20. Perhaps you, or someone you know, has been quietly feeling that invitation from God. This may be the moment to take that next step and discover where He is leading.
This week, Jesus does not simply say, “Believe in me.”
He says, “Follow me.”
So whatever cross you may be carrying, remember that you do not carry it alone. Christ has walked this road before us. He walks it beside us now. And every time we choose faith over fear, love over selfishness, and Christ over comfort, we take another step behind Him.
May we be a parish unafraid to take up our crosses, courageous enough to follow wherever Christ leads, and filled with a faith that burns so brightly within us that we cannot help but share it with the world.