"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:24b-25
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day
Today, as we honor all those whose labor enhances our lives and the lives of others, we recognize the holiness of the work we do. Whether we labor for an employer, for our own families, or both, we set aside our own desires to expend our time and effort to do something for others. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they must deny themselves and take up their crosses. We all have crosses that we are called to bear and some of them can be found in the work we must do for others. Let us strive to make the work we do more closely unite us with Christ.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
Jeremiah lashes out at God in today’s first reading for the misery he must endure as a prophet. Saint Paul, who knew well what it was like to be persecuted, urges the Romans to sacrifice their will to God’s. In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they must deny themselves and take up their crosses. Suffering is a part of life and is a necessary part of our calling as the Lord’s disciples. May God’s word strengthen us so that we may better endure suffering on our journey.
Reflections
The journey we make through life is not easy. We often face trauma and tragedy that are unavoidable. Other times, we face trials and difficulties because we are determined to do the right thing. We may cry out to God as Jeremiah did, defeated by the Lord’s will. Jeremiah came to realize that despite his hardships he could not run away. May we have the courage to continually respond to adversity and fear with the values we have learned from the gospel, willing to accept God’s will and not our own.
Jesus taught us how to accept God’s will. He had the power to avoid what he knew he must do. He had the power to fight back against the authorities. He had the power to provide a fairy-tale ending where he would be crowned and lauded in triumph over his opponents. But Jesus knew that the power he needed to defeat was not Pilate’s or Herod’s. So he followed the Father’s will, united himself to us in his suffering, and defeated death—stronger than any worldly enemy.
There’s a little bit of Peter in each of us: easily agitated, ready to speak our minds without reflecting first. A few weeks ago he dared himself to walk on water, then thought better of it. Today he objects to the horrible things Jesus says will happen to him. He understands that the journey with Christ is challenging, but he can’t accept that it involves violence and death. Jesus rebukes him, telling him he is thinking as humans do, not as God does. His disciples must carry their crosses despite their difficulty, despite the risk. Recall from last week that Peter’s faith and impetuousness also led him to respond at once that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. May our faith in the Lord allow us to place our hope in the resurrection that is always before us.
Question of the Week
In what ways do I find it difficult to deny my own desires, priorities, and will, to follow Christ? How can my faith in the resurrection ease my willingness to do so?
-from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
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Offerings
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