Daily Bread: Matthew 16:21-27

Antiphon

I call to you all day long, have mercy on me, O Lord. Alleluia!

Jesus Foretells his Death and Resurrection

21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. 22* Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

The Conditions of Discipleship.

 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.

The gospel reading for today reminds me of what St. Ignatius of Loyola told St. Francis Xavier significantly that Xavier decided to give away all his worldly treasures and become a missionary. St. Francis Xavier was at the top of his career back then. He was intelligent and very capable. He came from a well to do family. He had probably almost everything except God.

To not think of security in this time of crisis I'm sure is difficult, but to not believe that God provides this to us is all the more difficult. 

Today, God is reminding me that all my successes are graces He gave me. They aren't mine to boast of. They are to be shared to other people. These graces should not rule my life and destroy me in the process. 

God is the only source of joy. 

God is the only source of security and peace. 

God, therefore, must rule in my life.  

Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve You as I should.

To give and not to count the cost. To fight and not to heed the wounds.

To toil and not seek for rest. To labor and ask not for reward.

All I want is to do Your most Holy Will.

Amen.