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  Lk 9:22-25

 Take Up Your Cross

²² And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

How fitting on this second day of Lent to be challenged to take up our cross and follow Jesus. We cannot make it to Easter any other way. We have begun the road of self-denial, prayer and almsgiving in order to become a stronger, more faithful, and more authentic disciple of Jesus.  We cannot do so without bearing our cross behind him. There is and should be pain as we strip off our old ways and assume the ways Jesus has pointed out us: Him and others first, ourselves last. Let us pray that Jesus give us what we need to take up our cross and follow him more faithfully than ever before.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, help me to embrace my cross and follow you with all my heart and strength. Amen.