Gospel – Luke 9:22-25
Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for The Sisters of Nazareth
Reflection:
My friends here we are one day into Lent, can we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. Lord, I used to think this meant looking for mortifications. You have taught me that my cross is myself, my ego, and the pains in my body, my awkwardness, and my mistakes.
To follow you is to move beyond ego-trips. It means coping with the business of life without trampling on others or making them suffer. There is a world here to be explored this Lent.
Jesus is often presented in the gospel as giving his life over to his Father. His convictions and preaching would lead to his death. His future resurrection was in the power of his Father. Much of what we want to hold onto in life can be swiftly taken away – our good health, our security of wealth, even our good name. What we share in love and in God cannot be taken away. Ask in prayer to value love, and to offer your life now and always in love and for love.
Taking up one’s cross is not a matter of simply putting up with the headaches and ordinary troubles of life, but of not being ashamed of Jesus, and being prepared to be true followers with all the dangers, even possible martyrdom, that that implies. Trying to save one’s own skin by denying Jesus will only result in the loss of eternal life, of intimate union with God.
- Are you willing to move beyond your ego-trips and place your hand into the hand of Jesus and stick with him for the next 40 days and beyond?
