Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Jeremiah’s cry, “Sing to the Lord. Praise the Lord,” gives the right song for the poor soul rescued from the power of the wicked. The struggle against sin often follows a sad pattern. Shame rises after a fall, and shame begins to pull the sinner away from prayer, Mass, devotion, and the very help God gives for return. The decisive question becomes, “Whose voice is that?”

The voice of the Lord does not sound like hopeless shame. The good shepherd leaves the ninety nine to search for the one. Jesus does not crush the woman caught in adultery, and Jesus does not leave Matthew at the tax collector’s table. The voice of the accuser sounds religious at first, saying the sinner is too ashamed, too unworthy, too dirty to pray. But that is not Christ. Christ says, “Come to me.” Christ says, “Your sins are forgiven. Rise and walk.”

Fear tells the sinner that sin is bigger than mercy. Fear tells the sinner that failure has happened too many times. Fear tells the sinner to hide, but hiding never worked from the beginning. Adam and Eve hid among the trees of paradise, and God came looking for them anyway. Jeremiah felt surrounded by enemies, yet Jeremiah could say, “The Lord is with me.”

Jesus says that even the hairs of the head are counted. God knows every failure, every weakness, every wound, and after knowing all that, God still loves the sinner. The Lord’s word through Ezekiel is not destruction, but conversion: God does not desire the death of the sinner, but that the sinner turn and live.

The Christian life is not an excuse for sin, because sin matters so much that Christ died to save sinners from it. Yet growth in holiness takes time, like a child learning to ride a bicycle. Falls, scrapes, and bruises do not mean the child stops riding. The moment sin is recognized should become the moment prayer becomes more fervent, not less.

The Lord wants practicing Catholics, and practice implies imperfection. The penitential rite, the act of contrition, Holy Communion for venial sins received worthily, and confession for mortal sin all show how much God wants the sinner home. Shame must not devolve into despair. The bruised sinner must get back up, keep praying, seek the sacraments, and hear again the words of Christ: do not be afraid.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Shame is not Christ’s voice Shame can dress itself up in religious language and still come from the accuser. The sinner may hear, “unworthy to pray,” but Christ says, “Come to me.” Discernment begins when the soul asks whose voice is leading it away from mercy. [19:38]
• 2. Fear makes mercy seem small Fear lies by making sin appear larger than God’s compassion. Adam and Eve hid after their sin, yet God came looking for them in the garden. The sinner’s hiding place is never stronger than the Lord’s desire to find and restore. [20:34]
• 3. Practice implies real imperfection The phrase “practicing Catholic” carries mercy inside it. Practice means the Christian is not finished, not already perfect, and not abandoned because of bruises and falls. The Lord gives means of reconciliation because he already knows the weakness of those he loves. [24:22]
• 4. Sin should drive prayer deeper The recognition of sin should not become the end of prayer. That moment should become the beginning of more honest prayer, more urgent repentance, and a fuller leaning on the mercy of God. The enemy wants sin to isolate the soul, while Christ uses contrition to draw the sinner near. [23:39]
• 5. Confession resists despair’s downward pull Mortal sin calls for confession as soon as reasonably possible, but prayer must not stop while the sacrament is awaited. Despair twists shame into surrender, but humble repentance keeps hope alive. The sinner who acknowledges Jesus as Savior has reason to return, not reason to run.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:37] - Jeremiah’s Song Of Rescue
• [18:18] - Shame Pulls Away From Grace
• [18:46] - Whose Voice Is Speaking?
• [19:17] - The Accuser Uses Religious Language
• [19:58] - Christ Says Come To Me
• [20:12] - Do Not Be Afraid
• [20:54] - God Comes Looking For Sinners
• [21:33] - Known Completely And Still Loved
• [22:18] - God Desires Conversion, Not Destruction
• [22:39] - Holiness Learns Like A Child
• [23:39] - Pray More After A Fall
• [24:22] - Practicing Catholics Need Mercy
• [25:47] - Get Back Up Bruised
• [27:13] - Confession Without Despair

1. Jeremiah praises God for rescuing the "needy" from evildoers. What specific examples from the sermon illustrate how God actively seeks and rescues sinners? (e.g., the woman caught in adultery, Matthew the tax collector) [19:58]
2. The sermon contrasts two voices: the accuser’s and Christ’s. What phrases or actions does the sermon associate with Christ’s voice versus the accuser’s? [19:38]
3. How does the sermon use the analogy of a child learning to ride a bicycle to explain growth in holiness? [22:59]

1. Why might shame feel “religious” even though it pulls people away from God? How does this align with the accuser’s tactics described in the sermon? [19:17]
2. The sermon says, “Fear makes mercy seem small.” How do stories like Adam and Eve hiding or Jeremiah’s declaration of faith (“The Lord is with me”) challenge this fear? [20:54]
3. What does the phrase “practicing Catholic” imply about God’s expectations for believers who struggle with sin? How do sacraments like confession and communion reflect this? [24:22]

1. Shame often whispers, “You’re too unworthy to pray.” When have you felt this way, and what practical step could you take to respond with prayer instead of withdrawal? [18:29]
2. The sermon urges, “The moment you recognize sin should drive you to pray more, not less.” What habit could you build to turn failure into a prompt for honest prayer?
3. How might you discern whether a feeling of guilt is leading you toward repentance (Christ’s voice) or toward despair (the accuser’s voice)? [27:13]
4. The analogy of a child learning to ride a bike includes “bruises” and “getting back up.” What “bruise” from a past failure still makes you hesitant to try again? How could God’s view of your progress shift your perspective? [25:47]
5. The sacraments are called “means of reconciliation.” How could regularly attending confession or receiving communion (even with venial sins) strengthen your trust in God’s mercy? [24:53]