Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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?”
Take up your cross
1. Suffering. It is part of life, but it is a mistake to be masochistic and look for things that make you suffer. You shouldn’t be like those people who are constantly complaining and looking for things that hurt them. Today Jesus teaches us that in life there are difficult times that we have to accept and face; we have to learn to go through all those moments. Life is not all suffering nor is it all happiness. It has its lights and shadows, but everything passes.
2. The following of Christ. During this time, we are reminded that following Jesus entails going through what He went through. But be careful! Don’t stay on the cross because you know that the end is resurrection. Come on! You can do a lot, but following Jesus implies being another Christ on earth, so strive on and strengthen yourself in prayer and in the community. Remember that life in solitude makes everything more difficult.
3. Find your happiness. Seek the heavenly things; keep your eyes on heaven. Look for your happiness; it’s a path, not a destination. I understand that you have hundreds of worries and that at times you can’t even get one thing done but must struggle each day to be happy. There are days when everything seems clear, and others when you cannot see anything. Learn to let go and to prioritize things, to discern between what is important and what is urgent.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
