Daily Retreat 08/11/06
2006 Aug 11 Fri: Clare, v, rf M
Na 2: 1. 3; 3: 1-3. 6-7/ Dt 32: 35cd-36ab. 39abcd. 41/ Mt 16: 24-28
From today’s readings: “See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace!... Surely, the LORD shall do justice for His people; on His servants He shall have pity.... Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Self-denial and Taking up the Cross
After the prediction of His passion, which already scandalized His Apostles enough, Jesus went a step further in insisting that His disciples also had to share in His passion by their self-denial and taking up their cross to follow Him.
“Take up your cross” has become the familiar slogan of determined encouragement whenever faced with the adverse difficulties of life, but we shouldn’t forget that that motto is only the second half of the whole formula proposed by our Lord.
In fact, before taking up the cross, the disciple is bid to “deny himself,” unsettling words that are too easily glossed over in our self-indulgent society. For the burden of the cross is generally something forced on us - we can take it up willingly or unwillingly, but no matter what, every life will have its share of suffering. But self-denial is by definition something voluntary, and in order to take up the cross in a Christ-like manner, we all need lots of daily practice in saying “No” to our whims and selfishness. Try counting how many times today you make a clear, altruistic decision of self-denial, then thank God for those training opportunities for taking up the cross!
Na 2: 1. 3; 3: 1-3. 6-7/ Dt 32: 35cd-36ab. 39abcd. 41/ Mt 16: 24-28
From today’s readings: “See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace!... Surely, the LORD shall do justice for His people; on His servants He shall have pity.... Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Self-denial and Taking up the Cross
After the prediction of His passion, which already scandalized His Apostles enough, Jesus went a step further in insisting that His disciples also had to share in His passion by their self-denial and taking up their cross to follow Him.
“Take up your cross” has become the familiar slogan of determined encouragement whenever faced with the adverse difficulties of life, but we shouldn’t forget that that motto is only the second half of the whole formula proposed by our Lord.
In fact, before taking up the cross, the disciple is bid to “deny himself,” unsettling words that are too easily glossed over in our self-indulgent society. For the burden of the cross is generally something forced on us - we can take it up willingly or unwillingly, but no matter what, every life will have its share of suffering. But self-denial is by definition something voluntary, and in order to take up the cross in a Christ-like manner, we all need lots of daily practice in saying “No” to our whims and selfishness. Try counting how many times today you make a clear, altruistic decision of self-denial, then thank God for those training opportunities for taking up the cross!
posted by FrPitstick | 8/09/2006
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