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Gospel: 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.
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“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
These are some of the most famous – and difficult – words ever spoken by Jesus.
Some have interpreted his words to mean the heavier the cross, the harder your life is, the better. We’ve all heard those fire and brimstone preachers; religion is meant to make us miserable.
But they couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Jesus doesn’t want us looking for any extra burdens; in fact, he promises to help lift them. So, what kind of cross is he referring to?
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That clumsy, awkward, often hard to carry cross called life.
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We might re-interpret Jesus’ words to say: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his life, and follow me.”
So many of us carry the weight of children, marriage, difficult jobs, illness, and bills piling up. Spiritually, we must guard against temptation and try to grow in virtue.
We don’t have to add any extra weight to our shoulders.
We simply can’t shrug it off.
That’s the cross.
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What Jesus asks of us is to be faithful to the tasks we’ve been given in life.
If you’re a parent, provide generously for your children; shower them in love. If you have a job, then quietly do the tasks no one else wants to do.
If you’re a recovering addict, continue on the road to sobriety. If you’re burdened with an illness, endure it in faith.
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“Whoever wishes to come after me,” Jesus says, “must deny himself, take up his life, and follow me.” Do it without complaint; own it, knowing the Lord is shouldering it with you.
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Image credits: (1) Desiring God (2) Truth for Life Blog (3) Pinterest
This brings to my mind Teilhard de Chardin’s, S.J. (I think) definition of Passive Diminishment: “Serene acceptance of afflictions and loss no effort can change.”
Well said!