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Theo Tigno•
2/17/2011 4:35 pm
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Friday, February 18th 2011 |
Mark 8:31 - 9:1
Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "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 and that of the Gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."
He also said to them, "Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power."
Dawg's Thought:
Today's prayer intention - for those who are discerning their vocation.
Today's reflection comes from the Imitation of Christ (brief snippets of text):
* * *
Many think this is a hard saying: Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus; but it will be much harder to hear those final words: Depart from me, you cursed one, into everlasting fire. Those who now gladly listen to the word of the cross and follow it will not be in terror when they later hear that sentence of eternal damnation.
In the cross:
+ We have salvation
+ We have life
+ We have protection from our enemies
+ We have the inpouring of heavenly sweetness
+ We have the strengthening of minds
+ We have spiritual joy
+ We find the soul’s eternal salvation
+ We have the hope of everlasting life.
...
If you carry your cross willingly, it will carry you and lead you to your desired goal, where suffering will be no more. If, on the other hand, you carry your cross grudgingly, then you turn into a heavy burden, weighing yourself down the more and still you must carry it. If you should throw off one cross you will surely find another and perhaps one that is even heavier.
...
Know for certain that you must lead a life constantly dying to yourself, and the more you die to yourself the more you will live to God. No one can understand heavenly things unless he first resigns himself to bearing afflictions for Christ’s sake.
* * *
Take care and God Bless.
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