Remember the Reason
Aug 11: Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin
The first reading and the Psalm are about recollection. Reflecting on the past, and appreciating everything God has done. The Gospel, however, is about looking forward—what we can do, and what God will do for us in recompense.
Reading 1
Dt 4:32-40
Moses said to the people: "Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? All this you were allowed to see that you might know the LORD is God and there is no other. Out of the heavens he let you hear his voice to discipline you; on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard him speaking out of the fire. For love of your fathers he chose their descendants and personally led you out of Egypt by his great power, driving out of your way nations greater and mightier than you, so as to bring you in and to make their land your heritage, as it is today. This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."
Israel eventually became a great nation, under David and Solomon, and even then, it was surrounded by larger, more powerful countries. But at this point in time, they were basically a large nomadic tribe.
The point1 of Israel’s conquest of Canaan is that they couldn’t possibly have done it without God. If Egypt or Assyria conquered another, tiny country, what does that say about their gods? Nothing! They’re big, powerful countries.
But when Israel wins battle after battle, outnumbered and undersupplied, that shows you God’s providence is at work.
So it is with our lives. If everything’s going well, and then things go a little better, who’s going to notice?2 It’s when things go badly that we turn to the Lord, and then see Him work in our lives.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 77:12-13, 14-15, 16 and 21
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
I remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I remember your wonders of old.
And I meditate on your works;
your exploits I ponder.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
O God, your way is holy;
what great god is there like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
among the peoples you have made known your power.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
You led your people like a flock
under the care of Moses and Aaron.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
The Hebrew word that’s translated as “remember” here can also be rendered as “to make present.” The Psalmist wants you to witness these miracles. Don’t just remember, but meditate and ponder. Relive the events, as you would a great or terrible time in your own life. A pillar of smoke and fire guided them in the desert! No one who saw that with their own eyes would ever forget it; neither should we forget the amazing things God has done in our lives.
Alleluia
Mt 5:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We’re not going to feel blessed while we’re being persecuted, but in the end, we’ll remember God’s goodness.
Gospel
Mt 16:24-28
Jesus said 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. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."
When you “deny” someone in this sense, it means you disown them. You know, like Peter denied Jesus three times?3
So how can you disown yourself? You do it by admitting you are not the center of your own existence, God is. If you focus on yourself, you will die, and that will be it. But focusing on God encompasses everything—the world, your fellow man, friends, family, and even, in the end, yourself.
We can do everything for God, from work to family time to taking care of the bodies God gave us. And in the end, Jesus will repay us for what we did, and for whom we did it.
One of the points.
Please, though, you should notice.