21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]

August 24, 2025

Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13

In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded that God relates to us as a good Father who disciplines His children. At first glance, this seems ordinary. Many parents, especially fathers, discipline their children through rules and consequences. However, when applied to our relationship with God, this concept reveals a profound truth about His will for our growth and salvation.

1. Foundation in Jesus’ Teaching

The author of Hebrews bases his teaching on Jesus’ own revelation. In the Old Testament, God is symbolically referred to as the “Father” of the nation of Israel (Ex 4:22; Deut 32:6; Isa 63:16; Jer 31:9). Like a good father, God provided goodness upon Israel and protected them from their enemies. However, Jesus revealed something entirely new: He consistently and uniquely referred to God as His own Father because He is the eternal only-begotten Son (John 3:16; 5:17; 10:30). More than that, Jesus wants us to participate in this Father-son relationship, and teaches us to call God “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2; John 20:17). St. Paul further explains that through baptism and the Holy Spirit, we are not only servants, but we are children of God through adoption (Rom 8:14-17).

2. Suffering Is Not Punishment

The Letter to the Hebrews makes an important distinction: the suffering and difficulties we face are not divine punishment. God allows trials because He knows that they will ultimately be beneficial to us. This theme appears in the Old Testament, where righteous people like Job struggled to understand the great suffering they experienced, even though they were not sinful (Job 5:17-18). The New Testament reveals a deeper reason: God is a loving Father who allows hardship so that His children can grow and develop in holiness.

3. Love and Discipline Are Not Opposites

The author continues, “For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6). This challenges the modern distortion of love, which suggests that loving someone means giving them everything they want, regardless of whether those things are beneficial or harmful to them. True love is wise. A good father gives his children what they need for authentic growth, even if it brings hardship to the child. The all-wise Heavenly Father knows what is best for our eternal good, and He sometimes uses life’s trials to shape us for eternal life.

This understanding, that God’s discipline is an act of His love, has empowered many saints to endure trials with joy. St. Catherine of Siena, who endured physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering (including stigmata), taught that “Nothing great has ever been accomplished without much suffering.” Saint Thérèse of Lisieux lived out her “Little Way” by accepting daily discomforts and the painful struggle against tuberculosis without complaint. She surrendered everything with joy, saying, “Suffering endured with joy for others changes people more than sermons.” For her, her sickbed became a place of mission and love.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Questions for Reflection:

What trials are we currently facing? How do we view this suffering: as punishment, or as part of God’s loving plan for our growth? What is our typical reaction to difficulties? Do we respond with complaints and anger, or with faith and gratitude? Can we learn to see the hand of the Heavenly Father’s love even in our suffering?