Le 26 Septembre

25th Week 24B
Friday

Gospel text (Lk 9:18-22): 

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “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.”

Application

Some devout Christians have fallen so deeply in love with Christ without personally knowing Him, that they see every difficult moment as a cross, associating it with the passion of Christ, and escaping their own responsibilities to protect themselves. They even go as far as seeking out crosses and take pride in offering their daily struggles to God. However, for Christ, the Cross has value only in the context of human salvation, and more specifically in fulfilling the will of the Father. So, if you have a headache, don’t immediately offer that pain to God as if you are carrying the cross of Jesus. Instead, take medicine or seek natural therapy, try to alleviate the unnecessary pain, or at least search for its cause and cure.
The Cross Jesus refers to today has a salvific nature, meant to fulfill the will of the Father. He takes upon Himself something that He could have avoided, (as many of us do) but freely chooses to bear it for the love of the Father. This can be applied to our everyday responsibilities—to be a good father or mother, a loving husband or wife, a supportive brother or sister, etc. We take on these duties at the service of others, giving our best without expecting special privileges or acknowledgment.
The cross only has meaning when it is taken up or accepted at the appointed time, as willed by God, to accomplish a particular mission. (Don’t sit and mourn on a day meant for celebration.) Just as Jesus was accompanied by His Mother and several disciples, by the women of Jerusalem and Simon of Cyrene, we too will be accompanied by the Lord. Through these companions, God lightens even the heaviest of crosses for us. Just as the smile of a child soothes a mother’s pain, divine companionship helps us forget our struggles, reminding us of the joy in fulfilling the will of the Father.

Word to meditate: Cross
Action of the Day: Have courage to take risk in life. 

Fr. Terry, Cmf.