Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ps. 51:12-15,18-19, Matthew 16:13-23
“I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
- Today’s first reading is the marker that divides the Bible into Old and New Testaments. When God speaks to us through the prophet Jeremiah about making a new covenant different from the one of old, God implicitly tells us how we had failed him, yet at the same time, God says he wants to give us a second chance. … Sing… “Create in me a new heart, Oh Lord, and renew my spirit within me, cast me not away from your presence, O Lord, and renew your Spirit within me.” x2
- Our God is a God of the second chance. “I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people…. I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The second chance God has given us is concretely expressed in our conscience. Deep within us, God has written his laws. We don’t need to study catechism to be good persons. At the core of our being, we know what is good and wrong.
- That God is a God of the second chance is again revealed in His willingness to entrust great responsibilities to us despite his full knowledge of our human weaknesses. Jesus knew how fragile Peter’s faith was and how rash he could be in thinking, yet he made him the first pope. “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church.” (Matthew 16:18).
- No sooner had Jesus crowned Peter the head of the Apostles than we heard him say to this same Peter, “Get behind me, Satan…” (Matthew 16:23). This means that even God’s ministers are not above temptations and that ordination by itself does not make anyone immune to weakness. Yet, Jesus did not dethrone Peter. He continued to give him second chances. Later, Pope Peter denied Jesus three times, but Jesus still did not give up on him.
- Today, we remember Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order. He was born in Caleruega, Spain, in 1170. His parents were members of the Spanish nobility and related to the ruling family. His father was Felix Guzman, the village’s royal warden; his mother, Bl. Joan of Aza was a holy woman in her own right. According to one legend, his mother made a pilgrimage to an abbey at Silos. It is known that Dominic was educated in Palencia, and he concentrated on theology and the arts. In 1191, a famine left many people desolate and homeless across Spain.
- Dominic sold everything, including his furniture and clothes, and bought food for the poor. Dominic became famous because of his mercy and his work. Several other prominent religious figures of the time petitioned for Dominic to be a bishop. He refused at least three attempts at promotion, saying he would rather run away with nothing than become a bishop. Dominic remained steadfast in establishing an order dedicated to promoting morality and the expulsion of heresy.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, come to our aid when we face crises in life. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Dominic, Priest. Bible Study: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ps. 51:12-15,18-19, Matthew 16:13-23).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu
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