The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 16:24-28.
Jesus said to his disciples, “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. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection: Certain passages in the Scriptures have been said to comfort the afflicted, or afflict the comfortable. Today’s Gospel afflicts those who are comfortable. In this Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the most challenging invitations in the Scriptures. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Being a disciple is not about staying in our comfort zone and avoiding sacrifice. Discipleship is about placing our trust in Christ and placing Him at the center of our lives.
What does taking up our cross mean to us? It does not necessarily mean carrying heavy burdens. It can mean that when we face ordinary challenges of daily living, we faithfully embracing them with patience, love and hope. It may mean forgiving someone who has hurt us. It means remaining faithful to our prayer life. It means serving our family, or standing up for what is right even when it is difficult to do so.
In this Gospel, Jesus also reminds us that gaining the whole world is worthless if we lose our soul. Success, possessions and recognition will all pass away. St. Aquinas said the 4 substitutes for God are wealth, pleasure, power and honor. How many times have we read when a celebrity or famous person who had all of these things and is found dead from a drug overdose or from suicide. They were missing something very important, and that is a relationship with God. It has been said that we all have a hole in our hearts that only God can fill. Many people try to fill that hole with wealth, pleasure, power and honor. St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” It is our relationship with Jesus that will last forever. If we try to fill our hearts with these substitutes for God, our hearts will remain restless.
Action: Take some time today to ask yourself, what cross is Jesus asking me to carry? What am I holding onto that keeps me from “taking up our cross” and following Jesus more completely? Pray for the grace to have the courage to deny ourself, trust in God’s plan, and follow Jesus with generous hearts, knowing that the way of the cross always leads to the joy of resurrection.
Audio Reflection:
Thank you, Deacon Mike. God bless you and Martha.