MY daily reflection and prayer:
Friday, August 5, 2016
Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. Matthew 16:24-28
Then 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 everyone 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.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
IN the Gospel reading today Jesus challenges us to be his true friends. It marked by embracing the cross at all times, even in the bad.
Of course, it is never easy to be a friend of the cross, but we can not reject it. Even Jesus says, “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.”
Now we realize that our Christian lives are really a constant battle. Nevertheless, whoever perseveres until the end will be saved and have a fruitful life. We exactly can’t expect to have a glorious eternity full of celebration and joy if we don’t shed some blood and tears here on earth for the sake of Christ and the good of our brothers and sisters. So don’t make the mistake of constantly trying to make life easier and more comfortable for yourself. If so, you will only end up being hopelessly miserable and extremely lonely.
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist while adoring Jesus Christ we learn to embrace our cross. There we learn to deny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him. Do we want to follow him faitfully by losing our soul?
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, help us to seek the things that are above that last forever. Give us the courage to take up our cross and follow in the footsteps of yours now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
