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First Week of Lent - Tuesday
By Pat Lee | February 12, 2008
Tuesday February 12
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Luke 9:22-25
Scripture verse: ” If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” Luke 9:23
Reflection: In some movies we see the hero get into fights and/or get shot, knifed, and/or leap onto or from moving trains, cars etc many times. Yet our hero goes on as if the wounds weren’t really there. Now any of us who has bruised a rib, broken a finger, cut ourselves or even stubbed a toe knows that this movie magic is not true. The wound hurts. We limp, breathe delicately, cradle our hurt finger for protection. Unlike Hollywood, the real world does not allow us to live easily with physical or emotional wounds.
When Jesus asks us to take up our cross in today’s gospel, he is asking us to bring all of our life and all that it contains, including any wounds that may still hurt us when we decide to follow him. Being redeemed requires us to live actively as Jesus followers with any hurts and pains we may have. Like the Israelites in the first reading, we too, “choose life”. It is in bringing all of our life to Jesus that we can experience a full and abundant life in communion with God and one another.
Prayer: Lord, I place my hope in you. Help me this Lent to embrace my life and carry my cross. Amen.
Topics: Lent |
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