Sunday:       12 TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Date:         JUNE 20, 1999
Year:         A
The readings: [Jer. 20:10-3; Rom. 5:12-5; Mt. 10:26-33]
The message:  I WILL NOT STUMBLE FOR THE LORD IS WITH ME.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  892

Click here for the Index of all the Homilies

My brothers and sisters, today's readings echo, "I will not stumble for the Lord is with me." We being valuable in the eyes of God, He watches over us.

In the days of the Old Testament, the Lord God had called the great prophet Jeremiah to warn the people of the coming judgment because of their sins. The unbelievers laughed at Jeremiah. [Jer. 20:7] They plotted against him so they could silence him. [Jer. 20:10] Frustrated with the people who lived in sin, Jeremiah decided to keep quiet, to stop talking on behalf of the Almighty Lord God. [Jer. 20:9] Following this, the Lord implanted on the heart of Jeremiah the eternal dishonour that awaits those who rejects the Lord. Jeremiah was burning with such an intense fire within that he could no longer withhold the warnings of the Lord. [Jer. 20:9] He had to speak up on behalf of the Lord.

Gathering his strength so he would not face eternal dishonour, [Jer. 20:11] Jeremiah placed his complete trust in the Lord. [Jer. 20:13] Upset that Jeremiah was speaking up again on behalf of the Lord, the wicked people tried to trick him, hoping to get his downfall so they could get their revenge.

This example of Biblical history certainly reflects the fear that King David had when he said, "For I hear the whispering of many - terror all around! - as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life." [Ps. 31:13] He too gathered his strength when he faced the persecution of his enemies. [Ps. 31:14-6]

This is the same kind of whispering that was expressed against Jesus when He spoke up about the evil of the people. "Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. The same day some Sadducees came to him, saying there is no resurrection; and one of them,... a lawyer, asked him a question to test Him." [Mt. 22:15, 23, 35]

That same evil continues to this day against those who try to persevere in their living faith in Jesus Christ as true Catholics.

The Letter of Paul to the Romans reminds us that by the grace of God the Father, we received a free gift through Jesus Christ. Through the sin of disobedience of one man, Adam, all were called to suffer eternal damnation from the time of Adam to Moses. Man had lost his inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Since Adam no longer enjoyed the Presence of God, his descendants could not inherit this blessing. But, thanks to the righteous act of one Man, Jesus Christ, His perfect sacrifice as the Lamb of God, His suffering and death on the cross, many were made righteous before God. What we lack now because sin, it has become our blessed hope of the future.

The reading from the Gospel of Matthew tells us not to fear men. Remember the words of Jeremiah, "The Lord is with you like a dread warrior. Your persecutors will stumble and they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonour will not be forgotten." [Jer. 20:11]

We must never forget that by the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are made righteous through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confession. When we walk our Christian faith, in the eyes of God, we are more valuable then two sparrows. Every hair of our heads are counted. We are able to say, "I will not stumble for the Lord is with me." The Lord is your strength. He knows the hearts of all, those dark secrets of those who plot against us. One day, everything will be uncovered and the truth will be known.

Our fear should be the fear of the Lord and the eternal dishonour that we will receive if we turn away from the Lord because of our fear of men.

If we acknowledge Jesus before others, He will acknowledge us before the Father in Heaven. The Holy Spirit will bear witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. [Rom. 8:16-7] If we deny Jesus before others, He also will deny us before the Father in Heaven. The Spirit of Christ will not testify on our behalf. We will have lost our One and only Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous [1 Jn. 2:1] who can defend our cause before the Heavenly Father.

My brothers and sisters, today's message is that Christ died for our righteousness so we may inherit the eternal Kingdom of God. Since Christ suffered because of the truth, we should not expect better treatment than He received. With Christ, we must persevere in our living faith for the glory of the Holy Catholic Church that embraces all those who live their Christian faith.

Our friends are Jesus and the saints of the invisible Kingdom of God, the great prophet Jeremiah, King David and all those who humbly served in their lives for the glory of God. Today, we may be rejected by many, possibly our family, our peers or our co- workers because of our living faith. We must remember, we will not stumble because the Lord is with you. In the end, by the grace of God, the sacrifice of Jesus and the power of the Holy Sprit, we will be victorious in our race to eternal salvation, receiving the crown of glory and honour.

* * * * * * * * * *

The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

* * * * * * * * * *

First Reading...

"For I hear many whispering: 'Terror is all around! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!' All my close friends are watching for me to stumble. 'Perhaps he can be enticed and we can prevail against him, and take our revenge on him.' But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous, you see the heart and the mind; let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers." [Jer. 20:10-3]

* * * * * * * * * *

Second Reading...

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned - sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many." [Rom. 5:12-5]

* * * * * * * * * *

Gospel Reading...

"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven." [Mt. 10:26-33]

* * * * * * * * * *