A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (9:22-25)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all,
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”
(The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!)
Reflection: Jesus helps bear our crosses
In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus implores us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and follow him. What is our Lord telling us? What should we deny ourselves of? What are the crosses that we bear?
Bearing our cross can mean a number of things. It can be a situation or relationship with our loved ones, a family member, a co-worker, or a friend that needs to heal, for us or someone to be forgiven, to be understood or listened to, or to continually pray for. Some crosses can be an illness or a disability, or even a heavy period of grief as we miss the presence of a loved one.
The crosses we bear can be heavy and can seem to be difficult to carry, but through it all, there is no cross that can surpass the weight that our Lord Jesus had to bear, as he suffered, died, and was risen from the dead. Jesus triumphed over sin and death for us. To pave the way for all the faithful to receive the blessing of everlasting life, to free us from sin, and to eventually be granted the joy and peace as adopted sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.
Whatever cross we bear, we must never forget that we are never left alone. Our Lord Jesus is always there, to strengthen, comfort us, and to help us carry the load.
As a parent, it has been hard for me to see children or anyone suffer. For years, my daughter has endured daily chemotherapy. The tumor on her hypothalamus would shrink, then over time grow again. Through tears, I asked God, why? I continue to pray for her healing, and I know that the Lord answers prayer and grants strength and healing for her, as well as for all who are suffering hardships, and going through treatments for illnesses.
By God’s grace, my daughter’s recent MRI shows that her hypothalamus is now at the correct size, and I continue to trust and pray for God’s blessing of healing for her and for all on our prayer list.
May we be encouraged and always remember, that Jesus is always with us. He will see us through the rest of our journey here on earth, as He helps carry us with our crosses, until the day He calls us to himself and to His Kingdom. Lord Jesus, help us carry our daily crosses and guide us through your Holy Spirit.
Action for the Day:
Have a heart-to-heart conversation with our Lord Jesus. He is always listening and hears us. Share our pains, our sorrows, express our gratitude and our joys. He knows what we are going through and pray that He increases our faith and to help us bear our crosses.
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Click link below for audio reflection.
