Gospel
Lk 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?”
Reflection
Something that stands out to me in this Gospel passage is that Jesus uses the word "wishes" twice. Some synonyms for wishes are: wants, desires, yearning, longing. So I ask myself, do I wish or desire to be a follower of Jesus? My answer without thinking is "Yes!" So why? Because from this Gospel reading, I will have to lose my life and take up a Cross. It doesn't sound like a smart thing to do, according the the world's standards.
In the world today, how do companies market and advertise their products? The smart way is by emphasizing the benefits to the customer and showing how good it will make them feel just by hearing their slogans.
For example:
L'Oreal Paris- "Because you're worth it!"
Mc Donald's- "You deserve a break today!"
Burger King's- "Have it your way!"
Coca Cola's- "Taste the feeling!"
Red Bull's- "Red Bull gives you wiiings!
I am not saying that any of these are bad. These are just examples of what people usually want to hear. I do like to feel good and I do like to take breaks. These are all good things in my mind, and smart advertising. However, you need money in order to buy things, so then there is the desire for a good job that makes lots of money. There is also a desire to be recognized by people in high places, that would help you work your way up the ladder in a company. All of these things are good.
So back to my desire/my wish to follow Jesus. How do I wrap my brain around giving up my life for Jesus and taking up my cross daily while living in a world that is so opposite to what Jesus preaches in the Gospels? Is it possible to have a good job that pays well, and receive recognition for a job well done while also being a follower of Jesus?
I did some research and found that this Gospel reading especially verses 23-25, has concerns for the moral values of a person. That trying to gain the world can damage the person and his moral personality, and how trying to gain the world and worldly treasures can damage the soul also. As a result the loss is greater than the gain. Therefore, by following Jesus and taking up the daily cross, we are helping ourselves with the help of Jesus himself to temper the evil of the worldly wishes/desires.
We, PAPA, are saying the Holy Spirit Dekaena by St. Alphonsus and yesterday was day 2. Here is the first paragraph from this prayer:
ONE of the greatest evils which the sin of Adam has produced in us is that darkening of our reason by means of the passions which cloud our mind. Oh, how miserable is that soul which allows itself to be ruled by any passion! Passion is, as it were, a vapor, a veil which prevents our seeing the truth. How can he fly from evil who does not know what is evil?
Even since Adam and Eve, we have had to fight off our bad desires and passions. By following Jesus and taking up my cross daily, I am actually choosing a life of self sacrifice that will lead me closer to the treasure I value most in my life. That is Jesus Christ!
We are having a Lenten Retreat on Feb. 23rd-25th. We will be learning about the Foolishness of the Cross from 1 Corinthians 1:18. Here is a link to information on our Lenten Retreat "Are you Stupid? The Foolishness of the Cross".
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