FIRST READING (A man of strife and contention to all the land.)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (38:4-6, 8-10)

In those days, the princes said to the king: “Jeremiah ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them. And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Ebed-melech, a court official, went there from the palace and said to him: “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die. —The Word of the Lord.

1. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (40:2, 3, 4, 18)

1. Lord, come to my aid! (Ps 40:14b)

I have waited, waited for the Lord, and he stooped toward me. (R)

The Lord heard my cry. He drew me out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud of the swamp; he set my feet upon a crag; he made firm my steps. (R)

And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many shall look on in awe and trust in the Lord. (R)

Though I am afflicted and poor, yet the Lord thinks of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, hold not back! (R)

SECOND READING (Let us persevere in running the race that lies before us.)

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (12:1-4)

Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. —The Word of the Lord.

1. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Jn 10:27)

1. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me. (R)

GOSPEL (I have come not to establish peace, but rather division.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (12:49-53)

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” —The Gospel of the Lord.

1. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

“The Truth May Set You Free… But at What Cost?”

Growing up most of us were taught to tell the truth. But we soon learned that, just as there were consequences for telling a lie, telling the truth sometimes also produced unpleasant results. Not only might we have been made to face the music ourselves for telling the truth, but in being honest, we might have implicated others as well, and no one likes a tattletale. Still, no society can survive without the truth, regardless of what it might cost.

We have to be able to trust one another, and we have to be strong enough to accept the truth about ourselves and about our society. Otherwise, we will not be able to overcome what could prevent growth and improvement. A few weeks ago, our readings reflected on the “cost of discipleship.” Today’s readings invite us to look at this same theme a second time, but from a slightly different perspective. In both our first reading from Jeremiah and the Gospel, we find examples of “the cost of telling the truth.” In both instances, this cost is quite high.

In our first reading Jeremiah is imprisoned. What was his crime? He was advising the soldiers, in whose custody he had been placed, that the city of Jerusalem was doomed and that any protection they might be offering to the city would be pointless. So, the city officials told the king that Jeremiah was “demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city.” They conspired to have Jeremiah thrown into a deep well, a cistern, as an ancient form of solitary confinement. Was Jeremiah honestly announcing the truth of God’s word? Or was he guilty of treason? At times of political unrest, such a question is difficult to answer. Regardless of how one interprets Jeremiah’s situation, for telling the truth, he was made to pay the price exacted for an act of treason.

This is a tragic story, not only because of the consequences Jeremiah was forced to endure, but also because of the personality of the man himself. He did not consider himself a fit subject for the office of prophet. As we see in the opening of the Book of Jeremiah, he tried to evade his call from God, giving excuses for why he would not be able to meet its demands. “Ah Lord, I do not know how to speak. I am too young!” Many commentators refer to Jeremiah as “the reluctant prophet,” the one whose disposition was too weak or soft for the misery he would have to face. He had to warn his own people that they were going to be defeated by their mortal enemies, the Babylonians. His call from God was to proclaim the destruction of the city that he loved and the Temple that he cherished. Telling the truth must have broken his heart.

In the Gospel, Jesus describes his own role as that of “setting the earth on fire.” While on the one hand this expression could suggest that Jesus was aflame with zeal for establishing the reign of God, on the other hand, the tone of the rest of the passage implies great personal suffering. We often think of Jesus as a man of peace. He went around the countryside, announcing comfort, compassion to those in need, but he also realized that his message of reform and rebirth would not be accepted by all. It could lead to division. Today’s Gospel tells us that such division would be felt at the very core of society, in the family unit.

In order to realize the depth and severity of such a rupture, we must remember how essential kinship loyalty was in the ancient world. In that world, societies were community and family-oriented, unlike the individual-oriented perspective many societies today cherish. Back then, individuals could not survive alone, and what linked them to the broader community was the kinship structure. In today’s reading Jesus acknowledges that the truth of his teaching would cause some within the family to accept him, while others would not. This resulted in alienation of family members and the possibility of being ostracized from their community of origin.

Standing for the truth is no easier today than it was for Jeremiah or for the early disciples and followers of Jesus. In many parts of the world, the truth may still place people in jeopardy for their very lives. Nor is it uncommon that individuals must sometimes choose between the truth as they see it and family solidarity. Most of us do not face such drastic circumstances. Still, we may have to pay a price for standing up for the truth. We might be opposed to a political policy and, as a result, be accused of being unpatriotic. It could be that something at our workplace should be challenged, and we might have to risk being labeled uncooperative and face being fired. Or, following our conscience could put us at odds with family and friends. There is an old adage, “The truth will set us free!” But… at what cost? Think today also of three examples – Saint Maximilian Kolbe whose memorial is today and Saint Titus Brandsma of whom I taught this past year, and St. Edith Stein, or Teresa of the Cross. All three were put to death in the death camps, Maximilian and Edith in Auschwitz and Titus in Dachau. All three knew the cost of discipleship. All knew the cost of standing up to the truth. And all accepted the consequences of their discipleship. May we be so inspired by their example. As one commentator on these 3 saints wrote, “Courage and prudence in the face of evil are lessons to be learned anew in every age.”

Prayers

Celebrant: If we are faithful to Christ, we will not always be popular. May this mystery of the tension and struggle of the kingdom help to form our prayers and intentions today.

READER: For courageous leadership in the Church, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For statesmen and politicians who value courage and integrity, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That we may endure whatever crosses we bear in life with hope, looking forward to the joy that lies before us, refusing to grow weary or lose heart in the daily struggles of life, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For families divided by religious differences, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: [SMC only… For the repose of the soul of Cardinal Jozef Tomko of the Vatican and Slovakia, for whom today’s Mass is offered, and] For all those who are in need of our prayers as well as our faithful departed loved ones, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: We turn to you in our need, gentle Father. Grant the prayers offered in words and the prayers hidden in our hearts through Christ, our Lord. (all) AMEN.