“Jesus said to His Disciples: ‘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.’ Then He said to all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. …”
Mass Readings 2.19.15 – FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 – PSALM 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6 – GOSPEL: Luke 9:22-25 – Find a Mass: MassTimes.org – Find a Mass: TheCatholicDirectory.com – AUDIO: Thursday, February 19, 2015 Daily Mass Readings –
Links & Resources
- Commentary on “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must… take up his cross daily and follow Me,” from The Imitation of Christ, Book II, ch. 12, spiritual treatise of the 15th century (trans. Robert Dudley) – DailyGospel.org
- Pope at Santa Marta: The courage to choose God every time – News.va 2.19.15
- Pope Francis’ daily challenge: Who will you follow – God or the world? – Catholic News Agency 2.19.15
GOSPEL
Jesus explains to His Disciples that He is destined to suffer and be rejected and killed, yet that He will be Raised on the Third Day:
Jesus said to His Disciples: ‘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.’
Jesus does not enter into His Passion, Death and Resurrection by accident. He understands fully well the Sacrifice that He will undertake, which therefore are part of the Divine Plan.
Note that Jesus is the Son of God, yet He refers to Himself as “Son of Man.” He speaks from a Heavenly perspective. From a human perspective, what distinguishes Jesus is that He is the Son of God. Yet we are to shift from an earthly perspective to try to understand more from God’s point of view. At the same time, Jesus also reaffirms that He is, indeed, True God and True Man. He is not simply God posing with a human appearance. He really is truly Man, the Son of Mary, as well as truly God, the Son of God the Father.
Jesus then speaks to everyone, exhorting us that if we wish to follow Him we also must take up our cross and deny ourselves.
Then He said to all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My Sake will save it. …
Note that Jesus speaks of us taking up our cross daily. The Christian Way of Life, our Journey of Discipleship, is ongoing and unfolding. It is who we are to be, and the framework by which we are to spend out our life on earth, doing so as Disciples of Christ.
At the same time, we recall that, while Jesus speaks of us losing our life, we come into our true life as followers of Christ.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
FIRST READING
FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Moses reminds the Israelites, and us, that God has set before us a path towards life, by following God.
Our choice is whether to accept that invitation or to give up life and well-being by departing from God.
Moses said to the people: ‘Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving Him, and walking in His ways, and keeping His Commandments, Statutes and Decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will Bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray … I tell you now that you will certainly perish …
* * *
‘Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding His Voice, and holding fast to Him. …’
Moses speaks to the Israelites in the context of them heading into the Promised Land. Whether they follow God’s Commandments will have an impact on their earthly well-being and prosperity.
At the same time, he also speaks to us, regardless of whether Christ and the Gospel modified the kinds of Commandments handed to Israelites.
Whether an individual, or human society, follows God’s Law of Love does impact earthly life and well-being. At the same time, we ultimately encounter God’s Invitation to Eternal Life. We encounter the choice of whether to say yes to God and Eternal Life.
More Links & Resources
- Find a Mass: MassTimes.org
- Find a Mass: TheCatholicDirectory.com
- VIDEO: Sunday Mass – Basilica in Washington, D.C.
- VIDEO: Sunday Mass – Passionists (New York)
- VIDEO: Diocese of Sioux Falls, including Sunday Masses
- VIDEO: Sunday Mass – University of Notre Dame
- VIDEO: Daily Mass – Toronto
- VIDEO: Daily Mass – Boston/Catholic TV
- HOMILIES: Saint Anselm’s Abbey
- VIDEO: Daily Readings Reflections – USCCB
- AUDIO: Daily Mass Readings – USCCB