Take Up My Cross and Follow Him

 

The WORD today reminds me that I should take up my cross and follow Jesus. 

There are a lot of organizations in school that students can choose from. These organizations recruit members and organize activities for them. However, not all those who sign up and register as members become active and participate. Some would just sign up for the sake of signing up but not become involved with the org. Technically, they can declare that they are members of the org, even if they are not involved. This works in the world, but not with God. 

Real followers of God are very involved. They are willing to experience pain for Him. 

In the gospel, Jesus said that whoever wants to follow God must deny himself and take up his cross. Hindi lang basta basta sumunod sa Diyos. Merely Saying that you are a follower of God is not enough. We should be ready to walk the talk. We should be ready to suffer for God. Not because he wants us to suffer or he enjoys seeing us in pain, but because we should be ready to experience what he experienced in this world. Taking up our cross. Bearing our share of pain and suffering for Christ. He suffered in this world because he was not of this world. As his followers, we should be ready to experience this as well. 

We should also learn how to deny ourselves. Denying ourselves of what we want. Denying ourselves of what is easy and enjoyable. Denying ourselves of our own desires, of our own will...and submitting to God. Submitting to God our dreams. Our desires. Our plans. Denying ourselves, humbling ourselves, and proclaiming that God, his will, his plans, are high in our life. 

Do I love God? Do I follow him? In what way? Am I ready to face challenges in his name? How can I live my faith in and love for him? 

May we take time to reflect what it means for us to follow God, and may we be ready and willing to do what it takes. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I am not willing to suffer for you. Sorry for the times I am not willing to deny myself for you. Help me humble myself. Help me always be ready and willing to deny myself and carry my cross as I follow you. As I do so, use me to bring glory to you. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

• AUGUST 4, 2022
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• AUGUST 6, 2022

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Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 411

Reading 1 

NA 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7

See, upon the mountains there advances
the bearer of good news, 
announcing peace!
Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,
fulfill your vows!
For nevermore shall you be invaded
by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.
The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob,
the pride of Israel,
Though ravagers have ravaged them 
and ruined the tendrils.

Woe to the bloody city, all lies,
full of plunder, whose looting never stops!
The crack of the whip, the rumbling sounds of wheels;
horses a-gallop, chariots bounding, 
Cavalry charging, the flame of the sword, the flash of the spear,
the many slain, the heaping corpses,
the endless bodies to stumble upon!
I will cast filth upon you,
disgrace you and put you to shame;
Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying,
“Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her?
Where can one find any to console her?”

Responsorial Psalm 

DEUTERONOMY 32:35CD-36AB, 39ABCD, 41 

R. (39c)  It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
I will sharpen my flashing sword,
and my hand shall lay hold of my quiver,
“With vengeance I will repay my foes
and requite those who hate me.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.

 

 

Alleluia 

MATTHEW 5:10 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

MT 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.”