A Paradox

 (Note:  at least the Slice appeared yesterday, the day on which it was written. Still a mystery to be solved).

 Mark 8: 34-9:1

The Way of the Cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mk 8: 36), or as  in a more familiar translation, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?" (Mt 16: 26),  both cut deeply into the "stinking thinking"  that has cursed the human race since the Sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden, Today's emphasis on material wealth, so visible, for example in the recurrence of Ponzi Schemes and the never ending pursuit of material goods at the cost of honesty, integrity and often the hurt to or destruction of families, totally disregards this paradox and is the source of pain and unhappiness.  What does it profit anyone who basques in wealth but who is unhappy or worse, loses his soul? The answer is obvious, yet many still do not see it.  May we pray for them as well as for ourselves that we don't fall into this age old trap . The cross is not as attractive as material wealth, but in the end, it is what leads to eternal wealth. 

Bro. Rene