9th August 2019 Friday 18th Week of Ordinary Time - St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Reflection
Deuteronomy 4:32-40, Matthew 16:24-28

“Yes to a Life of Love”
Jesus, in today’s Gospel, shatters all our self-centred ways and calls us to renounce ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. This is a call to set aside our lens of ‘I, me, mine’ and to enter into the dynamism of forgetting ourselves and looking at the needs of others instead. This is the paradox of discipleship. If we want to gain, we must learn to lose.

Today, let us open ourselves to deny our self-centred pride and selfish desires in order to unselfconsciously love and care for those around us, especially those in need.

Questions for reflection:
1) Is it difficult for me to renounce myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus? Why?