THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 & 6
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
1st Reading: Dt 30:15-20
See, I set before you on this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love Yahweh, your God and follow his ways. Observe his commandments, his norms and his laws, and you will live and increase, and Yahweh will give you his blessing in the land you are going to possess. But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish. You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan.
Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live, loving Yahweh, listening to his voice, and being one with him. In this is life for you and length of days in the land which Yahweh swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Gospel: Lk 9:22-25
And he added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the law, and be put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life.” Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me! For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world, if you destroy or damage yourself?“
Reflections
TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY, AND FOLLOW ME
There is only one way of being a follower of Christ and that is to do what he did. He took up his cross. It is good to note that the word “daily” is included in the injunction. We only need to take up the cross for today. Forget the crosses of the past and don’t worry about the crosses of the future. What crosses do we have to carry today? — maybe an unfaithful husband, a rebellious child, a cranky mother in law. For a student, a failing grade, a misunderstanding with a best friend, a difficult exam. For some it could be heavy — diagnoses of terminal cancer, loss of a loved one, no money for food, for rent, etc. With the grace of God we make it to the end of the day. We still are alive. We kept our cool. Maybe somebody lent us money to pay our rent. We made up with our best friend. Or maybe we were not able to solve our problem — but we survived. At the end of the day, we lay down our cross. Sometimes some solution comes while we are asleep. Or maybe not. Any way we sleep in God’s arms, we gather energy for tomorrow. Now I lay me down to sleep......
Daily Reflection 2018
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
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