THURSDAY 18th FEBRUARY 2021
Luke 9, 22-25:
“Whoever wishes to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or destroys himself?”
How difficult it is for us to understand these words of Jesus! They are words of the Gospel that many would like to erase.
They speak of suffering, of being executed, of denying oneself, of the cross, of losing one’s life?
But they also speak of winning, of salvation, of resurrection?
Jesus is neither a masochist nor does he want us to be masochists.
Jesus brings us joy and life. And that is what this Gospel text says.
By following him, we find LIFE.
Carrying the cross, we come to LIFE.
By losing our life, we find LIFE.
Jesus invites us at the beginning of Lent to follow him in giving his life for the salvation of others in the mission that he entrusts to each one of us.
Will you have the courage this Lent to follow in his footsteps until his Easter?
Do not doubt it: this is how you will win your life because, in the end, what you win is LIFE.
Good day.
Antonio Sanjuán Marín, cmf
