17 February 2012, Friday
Gospel: Mk 8:34-9:1
The Condition of Following Christ
Jesus called the people and his disciples to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. What gain, then, is it for a man to win the whole world and ruin his life? And indeed what can a man offer in exchange for his life? For if anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power’.
Reflection
Just as Jesus called His first disciples, He calls out to us today to follow Him too; to abide by His teachings, to obey completely our Father’s Will, to love as He has, forgive as He has, offering ourselves on the same altar of sacrifice upon which we behold the Holy Lamb of God.
All these sound incredibly demanding and beyond us. But if we return to our first Gospel reflection and take Jesus for real, that we too can obtain every grace we need when we sincerely ask God for them in prayer, then we will discover that what we thought as impossible is made possible by God’s Providence.
How far will you go to honour your discipleship?
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