Reflection for August 30, 2026

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Jeremiah 20:7-9 | Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 | Romans 12:1-2 | Matthew 16:21-27

​Today is the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, and our readings remind us about the value of suffering in Christian life, choosing Jesus every day, and embracing the crosses we are called to carry.

​Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. reminds us that courage sometimes means returning to the place where our lives are threatened because we believe something greater is at stake. During Martial Law, Ninoy was imprisoned for opposing the Marcos dictatorship, yet he never stopped speaking for the freedom and rights of Filipinos. After undergoing heart surgery in Boston, he chose to return to the Philippines despite warnings that his life was in danger. Traveling under the alias “Marcial Bonifacio,” he came home because he believed that Filipinos were worth fighting—and even dying—for. On August 21, 1983, he was assassinated at the tarmac of Manila International Airport. His death awakened millions and became a turning point that eventually led to the downfall of the dictatorship. You can kill the messenger, but you cannot kill the message.

Christian hope is knowing that even in dark and frightening moments, God remains with us, offering His light and strength. This is what we see in the prophet Jeremiah. God called him to be His mouthpiece, and Jeremiah said yes. But his calling came with a price. He was mocked, rejected, and persecuted because people did not like the message he proclaimed. Jeremiah even felt deceived by God because of the suffering he endured. Yet despite his pain and frustration, Jeremiah remained faithful. He took responsibility for his calling and continued to speak God’s word, even when doing so was difficult. Like Jeremiah, we may sometimes be rejected for telling the truth, standing for what is right, or simply remaining faithful to God. But rejection and suffering do not mean that God has abandoned us. They can become moments when our faith is tested and strengthened. So, like Jeremiah, stay faithful. Keep speaking the truth. Keep trusting God.

When Emilio Jacinto was young, his family lovingly called him Miling. He was studying at the University of Santo Tomas and had a promising future ahead of him. He could have finished his studies, become a lawyer, earned good money, gained respect, and lived a peaceful and comfortable life. His mother, like any loving parent, wanted exactly that for him. She wanted her son to study, succeed, and have a secure future. She was against his decision to join the Katipunan because she feared the dangers that awaited him. Yet Jacinto believed that his country needed him. His contemporaries—Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Vicente Madrigal, and Juan Sumulong—went on to become lawyers, senators, and national leaders. Jacinto could have walked the same path. Instead, he chose to stand with ordinary Filipinos and fight for freedom. He gave up comfort for a cause greater than himself. And because others opened their eyes to freedom, we must never choose to close ours.

For the Roman Christians, it was much easier to return to the pagan ways of their time. That is why St. Paul reminded them that being followers of Christ meant living lives worthy of their new identity. He urged them not to conform to the world but to be transformed “by the mercies of God.” Choosing Jesus is not always easy. We all struggle with the temptation to fall back into old ways and simply follow what the world tells us. That is why we need to choose Jesus every day—not just once, but again and again. Today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, let us pray for the grace to choose Jesus at work, at home, in our hobbies, in our relationships, and even in the way we think about our future. Notice that Paul speaks of the “mercies” of God in the plural. Grace comes to us in countless ways, even when we do not deserve it. Every day, God gives us another chance to choose Him.

Apolinario Mabini was a brilliant young man from Batangas. He could have lived a quiet and comfortable life and even considered becoming a priest. But when his country needed him, he offered his greatest gift—his brilliant mind—to serve the young Filipino nation. He became a trusted adviser to Emilio Aguinaldo and helped shape the ideas and laws of the revolutionary government. At just 31, Mabini became lame and could no longer walk or stand. Yet he did not spend his life looking only at what he had lost. He embraced his condition with humility and made what remained of him his strength. If his legs could no longer carry him, his mind would. He continued to think, write, advise, and serve. Even when exiled to Guam, he remained faithful to his country. Mabini teaches us that carrying our cross daily means accepting what we cannot change and faithfully offering God whatever remains in us.

What’s your daily cross? All of us have one—and most of us probably have more than one. Jesus never preached a Gospel of ease and comfort. He was honest about the cost of discipleship: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Today, some false prophets preach a gospel of prosperity, making people believe that material abundance is a sign of God’s blessing while poverty and hardship are signs of His curse. But Jesus never promised that following Him would make our problems disappear. Mary, the saints, and the martyrs remained faithful in good times and bad. Our faith cannot depend on sales, promotions, success, or material gain. When hardship comes, we must still choose Christ. Our crosses are not meaningless. When united with Christ’s cross, our struggles can become part of our participation in His redemptive work. As St. Rose of Lima reminds us, “Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.”

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