Homily for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, August 30, 2026. Gospel of St. Matthew 16:21-27. Theme: The Three “Musts” of Christianity
In today’s Gospel we heard Jesus state quite simply and clearly what can be called the “Three Musts of Christianity”. They are: We must deny ourselves, We must take up our cross, and we must follow Jesus. It’s important to note that by using the word “must” He’s informing us that these are not just suggestions. They are in fact non-negotiables for those who want to embrace the way of Jesus and lay claim to the name of Christian.
The first “must” is that of denying ourselves. Now, to some people this can sound like a form of self-punishment but what it really means is that we work on letting go of self-centeredness. Why is this first? Because love is the Great Commandment of Jesus and the central moral teaching of Christianity and as we all know, real love has nothing at all to do with being self-focused! As Christians we’re called to develop within ourselves the priorities of Jesus, and so when it comes to loving, His priorities go like this: God, first. Others, second. And oneself, last.
This rooting out of self-centeredness will look somewhat different for each one of us in real life because we are each unique human beings. However, there are some tendencies that we all share in common and so working on this might mean that we need to stop insisting on having things go our way. It might lead us to giving up the tendency to control others. It can motivate us to rid ourselves of the need to always be right. Christian self-denial moves us to stop wasting time and energy on arranging things to please ourselves and instead to start thinking about ways in which we can promote the happiness and well-being of others. It inspires us to no longer ask ourselves “What do I want?” but, instead to turn to Jesus in prayer and ask, “Lord, what is it that You want for me?”
The second “must” of Christianity is taking up the cross. This one surely must have been the biggest shocker to those who heard it because it brought to their minds one thing and one thing only: the very real and dreaded punishment of crucifixion that they knew from experience all too well. In their first century Roman Empire world, condemned criminals were forced to take up their own crosses and carry them to the place of execution. This intentionally included being paraded before their peers, exposed to public ridicule and social humiliation. Finally, they were stripped and crucified naked in what was considered the final act of public shaming for a Jew. We put a loin cloth on Jesus on our crucifixes out of respect, but that's not at all the way it really was. So you see, those who heard Jesus declare that they “must take up the cross” were surely saying among themselves, “He means that we have to be willing to suffer and die for Him.”
And they were right! Millions of believers in every era of history, including over 60% of today’s Christians, have carried the cross of persecution and martyrdom. But taking up the cross can also lead to another kind of suffering and death besides a literal one. It’s what we might call a “social crucifixion”. This can happen when the Faith we hold dearly in our hearts comes into conflict with the values of our culture, especially when this conflict is among those with whom we live, work and socialize. This can put us in some pretty difficult situations that force us to ask ourselves some pretty tough questions about the sincerity and depth of our personal relationship with Christ. Am I willing to publicly follow Jesus if it means being ridiculed by some of my friends? Am I willing to follow Jesus if it means becoming alienated from some members of the family? Am I willing to follow Jesus in the workplace even if it means losing a promotion or having to change my job? I know for a fact that there are some among us here today who have had to deal with these very questions and situations and I am humbled as well as inspired by their fidelity.
Lastly, we come to the third “must” which is that of following Jesus. Now, at first glance, this one might seem to be the easiest of the three. But that perception changes once we realize that being a disciple of the Lord involves much more than simply bearing the name of Christian and attending Mass on Sundays. Following Jesus actually means rolling up our sleeves, so to speak, and getting busy with the difficult work of becoming more like Him in thought, word and deed. You see, the word “disciple” comes from a Greek word that means an apprentice, that is, someone who spends their days in the presence of a Master, watching him carefully, copying his example and learning from his words. This is what our following of Christ is supposed to be like. So, as 21st century disciple-apprentices of Jesus the Master, we need to turn to the Gospels for our daily instruction and formation because that’s where we can learn about Him, where we can hear and absorb His teachings, where we can be inspired by His actions and form ourselves with Him as our Model. So, I think it's plain to see that “following Jesus” puts us on a lifelong journey of personal transformation in which we are always a “work in progress”.
However, Jesus never asks the impossible of us and he knows how challenging all of this can be! And before returning to Heaven, He gave us two gifts that enable us to faithfully carry out these three musts of Christianity. The first is the Holy Eucharist, by which He personally comes to live within us, empowering us from the inside out with the strength we need to keep pressing forward towards the goal. And the second gift is what He Himself called “power from on high”, by which He meant the Indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit who enlightens us, enlivens us, and enables us to do all that He commands. So you see, He makes the impossible possible. And as if to cheer us on, Jesus ended the message of today’s Gospel by assuring us that when our time arrives to leave planet Earth, He will come with His angels to escort us into His Father’s glory. And that is when and where we will receive our eternal reward for having done our best with the help of His grace to deny ourselves, to take up the cross and to follow Him.
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