Thursday, March 02, 2017
1st Reading: Dt 30:15–20
Gospel: Lk 9:22–25
Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life.”
Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it, and if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world while you destroy or damage yourself?”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in
the Assimilated
Life Experience)
The title “Son of Man” dissociates Jesus from the concept of a Messiah of power and prestige which the people had in mind. Earlier references in Luke, though, used the title alongside Jesus’ power to heal and forgive sins (Luke 5:24, healing of the Paralytic) and his power over the Sabbath (“The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” Luke 6:5). But today’s Gospel reading from Luke uses the title Son of Man to describe Jesus’ humiliation in the hands of the elders. Prior to this Gospel scene Jesus had asked his disciples who he was and Peter gave the right answer. Nonetheless Jesus enjoined them from telling others about it (Luke 9:21). Pending purification of their concept of Messiahship the truth had to be kept secret until then.
While the same is no longer a secret to us, we still nurture in our sub-conscious the incompatibility between Messiahship and sufferings. This makes our minds selective. Thus in our appreciation of the requirements of discipleship, we choose the item which we think is least burdensome. Jesus was categorical in enumerating the requirements. He said: “If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me…” Yet how many rush to follow him without the readiness to deny themselves and take up their crosses? No wonder, there are many in the Church who are self-centered and incapable of making sacrifices for others.
The Season of Lent is so much time to reorient ourselves by our Lenten practices of fasting, abstinence and prayer. Anyone who is 18 or above but below the age of 60 is required to reduce food intake to only one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these days and on all Fridays of Lent, anyone who is 14 or above is required to abstain from meat. By depriving our bodies we hope we will finally understand that just as the Messiah denied himself and took up his cross so too we must suffer if we want to become his true followers. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM.
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