February 19, 2015

Read It:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Then he said to all,
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”

Reflect on It: Well before Twitter, Jesus was calling men and women to follow him. Unlike Twitter, this following required his disciples to give everything that had. See, love will always cost you something. It will always cost you your life. To come and follow Christ means denying yourself and the comfort of this world and follow him. The pay off is eternal life with Christ. This is a daily choice. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reminds us that the "world offers us comfort. You were not made for comfort. You were made for Greatness". Following Christ, carrying our cross, reaching that greatness is never about what makes us comfortable, but instead what makes uncomfortable. Today, may we have the strength to carry our cross alongside of Christ who carries a much heavier cross than ours and to ask for help when we need it.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, you carried your cross and never settled for mediocrity. Help me to carry my cross with great love for you.

Live It! Challenge: Today, identify what cross Christ is asking for you to carry and how you can do that.