Friday 7th August, 2009
ST SIXTUS II AND CC. ST CAJETAN. DAY OF PENANCE. Deuteronomy 4:32-40. I remember the deeds of the Lord—Ps 76:12-16, 21. Matthew 16:24-28.

  
Meditation: mp3 | podcast
Readings: Text | mp3 | podcast

‘If you want to become my followers, you need to deny yourselves and take up your cross and follow me.’

When Jesus said this to his disciples, he cannot have been looking to attract large numbers to his cause. This declaration of paradoxes and contradictions that he loses upon his listeners seems counterintuitive, if his aim is to persuade people to join him. Jesus seems to be warning his listeners that normal human desires for security and predictability in their lives must be abandoned in his service and that gaining the whole world will not compensate for life without him.

Do we have the courage to accept his challenge?