Thursday February 23, 2023

---

“The joy that’s available in suffering comes from knowing that Jesus is on our side.”

---

Good News Reflection for:

Thursday after Ash Wednesday
February 23, 2023

Today’s Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to understand the importance of letting You reign in my life. I want to follow You at all times because I need You. Thank You for hearing my prayer. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 9:22-25
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022323.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-february-23-2023

Embracing the cross of self-denial

Walking close to Jesus is not easy. In fact, it’s the most challenging way to live! Jesus describes how to follow him in today’s Gospel reading. He says that we have to deny ourselves. Oh phooey, that’s no fun!

No one likes to embrace their crosses (not even Jesus). We want to get rid of them, but the only way to experience the thrill of resurrection victory is to go through the cross. This means accepting our crosses instead of looking for the easy, most comfortable life.

Can you embrace your difficulties as you would a good friend? Indeed, that is what trials are: They are good friends if we let them bring us closer to God, if we let them mentor us into greater holiness, if we let them stretch our ability to love and to forgive those who make our journey unpleasant.

This is what it means to deny ourselves. It does not mean ignoring our own personal needs. Nor does it mean treating ourselves poorly. It does not mean that we become our own worst enemy.

Denying ourselves means that we “lose our lives”, as Jesus describes it, in the crosses that we embrace rather than fight to protect the lives we’d prefer to have. Don’t we want everything to go our way? And when things don’t go our way, we want to cajole and manipulate and pray and plead to protect the illusion of how our lives “should” be (it’s an illusion because it’s our idea, but it’s not reality), right?

We could, if we put enough effort into it, shape our lives into what we think is best for us. But what is the cost of that? Jesus says it destroys us. We lose touch with God. We lose human relationships. We lose ourselves in the process of getting what we want.

In today’s first reading, Moses invites us to choose between God’s ways and our own ways. He points out the advantages and disadvantages of our decisions.

Of course we do want to do things God’s way. We know that he’s smarter than we are. But embracing our crosses and denying ourselves is painful, oh so painful!

There is only one way to do it: We must also embrace Jesus (and thus let him embrace us) as we cry our way through the Way of the Cross.

As we proclaim in today’s responsorial Psalm, happy are we when we hope in the Lord. The joy that’s available in suffering comes from knowing that Jesus is on our side, and from trusting our Father for a good future, and from being rooted in the Holy Spirit who affirms us, and from realizing that Jesus the Great Redeemer will transform every curse into a blessing.

To help you reflect on this topic, use our WordByte “What’s the Value of Sacrifices?” @ https://wordbytes.org/lent/value-of-sacrifices/.

© 2023 by Terry A. Modica

 Please minister to others by sharing this page.

Access more in our new Calendar of Reflections.

---

 To distribute the Good News Reflections in your church bulletin or in RCIA or faith sharing groups, please contact us.

 You can also receive this & more faith-builders by text message on your phone.

 Keep it going! This reflection reached you thanks to benefactors. Please support this ministry today.

 Post your prayer request.

 How else can we serve you today? Visit our homepage.

Search more reflections in our continually growing database.

Homebound, Prison & Hospital Ministers are invited to print and distribute them without further permission.

Continue your prayer time with these:
Pray with Saints | Pray the Rosary | Other Prayers | Random Quotes.

 

Order and share Terry Modica's books

Socialize with us at: