Weekly Missionary Reflection
22nd Sunday in ordinary time, 03 September 2023
National Bible Week
Jer. 20:7-9; Ps. 63:2,3-4,5-6,8-9; Rom. 12:1-2; Matt. 16:21-27
Dear missionary friends, Today, Sunday, 3 September, we begin the 2023 National Bible Week. We know that in September churches are inviting people to give special attention to the Bible, which can be manifested by deepening, contemplating, studying, and celebrating the Word of God. Those manifestations can be performed individually or together in the territorial (neighborhood, spiritual associations, stations, parishes) or categorial communities (prayer groups, children, teens, youth, etc.).
During the month of 2023 National Bible 2023 we are invited to reflect more deeply on God the Creator as the source of love and salvation. The Prophets Jonah and Joel inspire and guide our contemplation on God. Together with these two prophets, we are guided to reflect, feel, and live more deeply the God who is the Source of Love and Salvation.Prophet Jonah proclaimed God the Creator as the graceful and merciful source of truth. God asks for repentance from humans. He is pleased to forgive and take away the punishment for sinners. Meanwhile, the Prophet Joel proclaimed that God was always present among His people. Joel proclaimed God among the Israelites who were living in despair, adversity, complaints, and misfortune due to loss of hope. The God who is always present is a loving and merciful God. He is merciful to His people.
The guidance readings for National Bible Month are different from the Bible readings for today’s Mass, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, which are taken from the Book of Jeremiah, the Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans, and the Gospel of Matthew. However, all five readings of the Bible proclaim the same message, “God is the Source of Love and Salvation.”
God, the source of love and salvation, is fully present and fulfilled in His Son, Jesus Christ, who, “had to go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and raised again on the third day,” as written in the Gospel of Matthew (16:21). In Jesus Christ Himself God grants forgiveness and takes away the punishment of sinners. Through the mystery of His passion, death on the cross, and resurrection, He atoned for human sins. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the hope of salvation for every creature.
As the Prophet Jonah proclaimed, God who is full of grace and mercy asks for human repentance, Jesus the Son of God conveyed it 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.” Salvation is both God’s work and human response. God who is merciful, forgiving, and redeeming sinful humans can not insist that humans who do not want to accept and welcome Him.
The offer of God’s love will turn to salvation if humans who are filled with His grace, love, and mercy want to respond to Him. Therefore, the Apostle Paul advised us in his letter to the Romans, “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.” God’s salvation will work and be powerful in those who want to receive it and respond by giving themselves to God. This self-offering is manifested in daily life, starting by discerning the good from evil, what pleases God, and what is not pleasing to God. After we discern this, we are willing to choose and manifest it in our minds, feelings, words, and actions daily.
If only we humans remain stubborn and ignorant, as told by the Prophet Joel, God would always be patient and abundant in love. God will keep on creatively working hard to embrace these ignorant humans. The prophet Jeremiah gave his life testimony, “You seduced me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced; you were too strong for me, and you prevailed.” God’s love is so great that He does not want to lose us, therefore the fire of God’s love is so tremendous and burning that we are unable to extinguish it. Do we want to respond to God’s love? Are we willing to open up and let ourselves be loved by God? Do we want to be His instruments by proclaiming His love to the people we meet? God is the source of love and salvation. Proclaim it!!!***NW
(RD. M Nur Widipranoto- National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies Indonesia)
DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER
Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.
Together with St. Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church of this month:
For people living on the margins
We pray for those living on the margins of society, in inhumane life conditions; may they not be overlooked by institutions and never considered of lesser importance.
For Forgiving Inspiration
We pray for our willingness to read and dig into the inspiration of the Scriptures for repentance, so we can realize that every single human has the right to be forgiven if he repents of his sin, and prays for forgiveness from the merciful Lord.
Amen.
Situs Resmi Karya Misi Kepausan Indonesia (KMKI) 