Wednesday May 29, 2024

“Evil is overcome, not by our avoidance of hardship, but by the victory that comes from embracing the cross.”

Good News Reflection for:

Wednesday of the 8th Week of Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Paul VI, Pope
May 29, 2024

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for the times I pursued my own interests instead of those that benefit others. Give me an alert and humble heart to serve You in the poor. Amen.

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Today’s Readings:

1 Peter 1:18-25
Ps 147:12-15, 19-20
Mark 10:32-45
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052924.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-may-29-2024

The baptism of suffering

In the Gospel reading today, look at how James and John wanted spiritual growth the easy way! They wanted to achieve high places of honor in God’s kingdom, and they wanted to get there just by asking for it.

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t snap his almighty fingers and make your problems go away when you ask for his help? Instead, he takes you by the hand and leads you deeper into the problem — true?

It’s not because he wants you to suffer. The Father did not want Jesus to suffer, but it was the only way that humankind could be redeemed.

Do we want a quick escape from pain more than we want God to redeem bad situations into something good? To see the redemptive power of Christ in our lives, we have to accept that the way to get there is through the cross. We have to be willing to endure the people who are contributing to our difficulties, and in enduring them, learn patience, and in learning patience, develop unconditional love for them, and in developing unconditional love, become more fully united with God who is love.

The benefits far outweigh the sufferings.

Jesus told James and John that they would have to drink of the cup of suffering and be baptized in pain. What does baptism do? Water baptisms were originally by full immersion, and the Vatican has been encouraging parishes to restore this ancient tradition because it more easily conveys the true meaning of baptism. Baptism drowns our sinful nature and raises us up to a new life in God. Likewise, baptism by immersion into our problems redeems the situation much more fully than if God had taken us to a quick escape.

(Time out for a word of caution: If you are in an abusive relationship, this is not a situation you are being called to endure! This is not a redemptive cross. He is inviting you to get away to a safe place where you can insist that the abuser seek proper professional help. Only after real change takes place — real healing in both of you — can reconciliation and reuniting safely occur.)

Of course, we all want the easy way to glory. Jesus did, too. (Remember what he begged for in the Garden of Gethsemane?) But when we can look back at the sufferings that we’ve endured and see the blessings that they produced, we are thankful that we took the hard journey.

Evil is overcome, not by our avoidance of hardship, but by the victory that comes from embracing the cross.

To reflect further on this issue, use our video “3 Keys in Turbulent Times to Grow Closer to Christ” @ https://gnm-media.org/3-keys-in-turbulent-times-to-grow-closer-to-christ/

© 2024 by Terry A. Modica

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