Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “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.”

In solitude

1) With Him. There are times when we’re surrounded by people, and there are times when we need to be alone. Learning to be alone—and even seeking out those moments—is important because solitude can be good for your soul. Sometimes, people who are always surrounded by others can feel lonelier than those who’ve learned how to be with themselves. Give yourself the chance to have your own moment with Christ and recognize how much you need Him.

2) I am. One important question to ask yourself today is: Who am I now? We’re all constantly changing, but you need to return to your core and rediscover what you truly want for your life. You can’t keep living as if you were the same person you were ten years ago. You’ve gone through many situations in life, and some things no longer fit who you are or where you’re going. You need to recognize that and accept it.

3) Rejection. Remember, you can’t please everyone—some people will like you, and some won’t. Still, you need to protect yourself and understand that not everyone around you has your best interests at heart. Some people, driven by jealousy, can tear down what you’ve been building. Maybe you don’t need to share everything you do at work or in your group chat with peers. You might only be adding fuel to the fire that could later burn you. There’s nothing wrong with sharing what you’re doing but be careful who you share it with. Some people may take it as if you’re rubbing it in their face. 

Never forget that something good is on the way!

God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.