Author: admin

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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, or 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 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; embrace it, knowing the Lord is carrying it with you.

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Image credits: (1) The Transformed Wife (2) Christianity (3) Pinterest

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Jeremiah 31: 1-7

At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the sword
have found favor in the desert.
As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God.”

For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.

The Word of the Lord.

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It’s amazing how many different views people have about God. Their answers can be as far as the East is from the West.

Some believe that God is distant, even absent. Others believe that he’s a stickler for rules; he’s a judge who weighs our sins and is somehow out to get us. 

Others treat him like a vending machine; you go to God when you need something.

But Jesus tells us to call God, “Abba,” which means, “Daddy.” Or, “Papa.” Every human being has the opportunity to experience intimacy with God – an intimacy that transcends even the deepest human relationship – because God loves us.

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In our first reading, the prophet Jeremiah describes God’s love for us as, “age-old.” In Hebrew, this word means, “unchanging; without end.” There is neither a beginning nor an end to God’s love for us.

As the Lord says previously through Jeremiah, “I knew you – I loved you – before I formed you in your mother’s womb” (Jeremiah 1:5).

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So, what does this mean?

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That there is nothing we can do to earn God’s love. Nor is there anything we can do to end it. 

When we’re stuck in the valley of our own darkness – when we’re mired in sin – God loves us.

When we doubt his existence; when we live life on our own terms; when we forget to pray… God loves us.

When we cry out in our need; when we serve Him in our neighbor; or when we praise Him for his goodness… God loves us – but no more or less than when we don’t.

His love is “age-old,” unchanging, unearned, without beginning or end.

Perhaps that’s something to bring to prayer today: Wherever you are on your journey, God is with you … and he loves  you.

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Image credits: (1) iStock (2) 123RF (3) Julie Lefebure

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Gospel: Mt. 14.22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Some of the most common fears people have are a fear of public speaking, heights, failure, snakes, and confined spaces. Maybe we have a combination of these.

Why are we so afraid?

Some psychologists say, we’re afraid of losing control. 

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Consider Saint Peter in today’s Gospel.

Although he’s stuck in a storm in the middle of the night, he’s relatively safe, holed up on a boat. Suddenly, he sees Jesus walking on the water towards him, so he cries out: 

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

And so, Jesus says, “Come.”

Understandably, Peter is terrified. He’s spent his whole life walking on land. I’m sure he never dreamt of doing anything more. The land is comfortable; sturdy; familiar. 

But the water can swallow him whole.

Still, the Lord invites him to take a risk – to move beyond his comfort zone – to walk on water.

Peter didn’t start sinking because he was incapable of doing what Jesus said. The Gospel tells us, “When he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened.”

Peter was afraid. That’s why he began to sink.

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I wonder how much further we might advance in life – and in our spiritual lives – if we were less afraid of failing; sinking; losing control. 

While some forces may be stronger than us – much like the wind and water being stronger than Peter – Jesus assures us that we will not drown because he’s standing there with us. As the disciples say elsewhere, “Even the wind and the seas obey him.”

What would it look like for me to step outside of my comfort zone? To take a leap of faith?

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May we follow Christ out onto the water today.

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Image credits: (1) St.Catherineop.com (2) laymansbible.wordpress.com (3) Clear Bible, WordPress