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 (Mark 8:35). This Sunday’s Gospel reading is the heart of discipleship: deny yourself and lift up your crosses every single day in imitation of Jesus. To follow Jesus—to truly be His disciples, day-in…
“When the afflicted man called out, the Lord heard, And from all his distress he saved him.” Psalm 34:4 Have you ever cried out to God in the midst of suffering? I certainly have, and it can feel so difficult, because even though God is always with us (Matthew 28:20), our human senses fail us. We cannot see Him, touch Him, or hear Him reply to our cries. We can sometimes feel like Job, who…
Have you ever been lonely? Have loved ones abandoned you in your greatest need? Sit next to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, with drops of His precious blood falling on the ground as His disciples sleep outside (Luke 22:39-46; Mark 14:32-42). Have trusted ones betrayed you? Your dearest friends denied you in their selfishness? Stand next to Jesus, betrayed with Judas’ kiss and looking on as Peter curses Him (Luke 22: 46; Luke 54-61;…
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 This time of winter is always a little “low” for me. Can you relate? The weather is often cold and dreary, although we’ve had some really nice days lately. Illnesses, stress, and grief seem to weigh on our hearts a little harder in February. It leaves me wondering what happened to all that Christmas joy from just a few weeks ago? It seems to…
By your perseverance you will secure your lives. – Luke 21:19 As I read the scripture readings for this Sunday, I noticed a common theme: persevering through grace in times of adversity. In the first reading, those who fear the Lord must endure God’s just judgment that will come “blazing like an oven” for those who are proud and do evil (Malachi 3:19). St. Paul worked “in toil and drudgery, night and day” while building…
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.– Luke 14:27 What does Christian discipleship look like? Jesus defines discipleship by saying what it is not. who puts earthly things–even good things–before God cannot be a disciple. One who refuses to “carry his own cross” and follow Jesus in His suffering cannot be a disciple. To follow Jesus—to truly be His disciples, day-in and day-out—we must accept the crosses…
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do. – Mark 8:33 What do you see when you look at Jesus on a crucifix? Pain, anguish, sorrow, death—all these come to mind. I used to look at the crucifix and wonder why Jesus would suffer for us in this way. I eventually learned that the answer to that question is love. When I started to see the cross as an expression of…
Praise the Lord, for he is good…He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. – Psalm 147:1, 3 I am the Divine Physician. I can heal you from your every wound, if you want to be healed (John 5:6). The wounds and illnesses of your body, the faults and deficiencies of your mind, the brokenness or hardness of your heart, and even the sins of your soul (Matthew 9:6). Come to Me with trust…
Jesus offers us the key to discipleship in today’s Gospel reading: “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” (Matthew 16: 24-25). Paradoxically, this is also the key to fulfillment and happiness. To be Christian disciples, we must deny ourselves by emptying ourselves of sin, pride,…
Our world is facing an unprecedented threat from the Coronavirus outbreak. We are facing our own mortality; we are witnessing how fragile we truly are. We are facing the possibility of death itself. We have been forced to let go of our own plans and instead trust in the Lord (Psalm 130: 5-6). It’s easy to hear frightening news and despair, and it’s natural to be afraid. But as Christians, we have hope in Christ.…