The Gospel according to Mark (10:28-31)
Peter began to say to Jesus,
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Reflection:
Tomorrow, we begin the holy season of Lent, that annual time for introspection, renewal, and re-focusing on our faith. In a way, it’s quite appropriate that we have this Gospel today. I think when Easter is late, this is the last Gospel we hear before the start of Lent, and it does give us something to think about as we look ahead to that holy season.
Peter begins our Gospel today by pointing out all that he (and the Apostles) had given up to follow Jesus. “Giving up things” is something that many naturally attach to the Lenten season, because a normal, human question to ask a fellow Catholic is “what did you give up for Lent?” Now, I’m not saying that “giving up things” is a bad thing. For most of us, it’s a good lesson during this season for us to discover that we don’t need to consume in excess (or maybe, put more accurately, that we consume in excess the rest of the year).
What Jesus is saying is that we should not look solely at what we may “give up” during this Lenten season coming up, or during our lives as His followers. Instead, we should keep in mind the wonderful, glorious gift of heaven, and eternity with Jesus and all those called by the Father. If we ever are discouraged by the seeming difficulty of our lives as Christians, we need only remind ourselves that “this too shall pass”, and that we are working for that eternal, heavenly reward.
As we contemplate the start of Lent tomorrow, may we think of what we can change during this coming season that will help us focus more on how we can be of service to God’s children around us. Maybe that will be giving something up, but it could be that we need to add something, not subtract – maybe we need to add dedicating time to prayer, that we might listen more for the still, quiet voice of God in our hearts. Or, that we add time that we dedicate to helping the less fortunate (and maybe even including our family members in that).
Think of how different you will feel as a follower of Jesus if you do something extra this Lent, to help you glimpse the “big picture” of God’s mission and the little bit of glory that you are helping to bring about by trying to love and care more like God does.
Action for the Day:
Today, ask God to show you what one thing you can do this Lent to walk closer to Him, and to shine His light in your days. Write it down, so you have something to remind you of it. Then, tomorrow, start doing that one thing, and then, keep going in the days to come!
Link to the DEACON5 website: https://deacon5.com/
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