Reading 1 Na 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7
the bearer of good news,
announcing peace!
Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,
fulfill your vows!
For nevermore shall you be invaded
by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.
The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob,
the pride of Israel,
Though ravagers have ravaged them
and ruined the tendrils.
Woe to the bloody city, all lies,
full of plunder, whose looting never stops!
The crack of the whip, the rumbling sounds of wheels;
horses a-gallop, chariots bounding,
Cavalry charging, the flame of the sword, the flash of the spear,
the many slain, the heaping corpses,
the endless bodies to stumble upon!
I will cast filth upon you,
disgrace you and put you to shame;
Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying,
“Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her?
Where can one find any to console her?”
Responsorial Psalm Dt 32:35cd-36ab, 39abcd, 41
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
I will sharpen my flashing sword,
and my hand shall lay hold of my quiver,
“With vengeance I will repay my foes
and requite those who hate me.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
Alleluia Mt 5:10
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 16:24-28
Jesus said to his disciples,“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
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?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay each according to his conduct.
Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
MARY MAJOR
"If a man wishes to come after Me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and begin to follow in My footsteps." –Matthew 16:24
To be disciples of Jesus, we must deny ourselves and take up His cross daily (Lk 9:23). In effect, we must lose our lives (Mt 16:25). We no longer operate independently, but obediently. We don't do our thing, but His thing. We have been crucified with Christ and the lives we live are no longer our own (Gal 2:19-20).
Although the cost of discipleship is so high, deep down we sense that only by losing our lives as disciples of Jesus will we find the meaning and fulfillment of life (Mt 16:25). At the same time, we are hesitant to make the great act of faith necessary to be Jesus' disciple. Jesus is aware of our problem. As He was hanging on the cross, He provided Mary as our mother and major discipler (see Jn 19:26-27). She will intercede for us and prophesy to us (see Acts 1:14, 2:4) so that we will decide to pay the cost of discipleship. She will lead us to obey her Son (see Jn 2:5).
However, Jesus does not force us to accept His mother as our mother. We must decide. Traditionally, we accept another's help in discipleship by putting on that person's cloak (see 1 Kgs 19:19). That is the meaning of the scapular. It represents Mary's cloak. Wearing it means we accept Jesus' plan for discipleship and will pay the cost of discipleship. Wear your scapular and live its meaning.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I let Mary influence me as she influenced Jesus. |
| PROMISE: | "See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace!" –Na 2:1 |
| PRAISE: | Joe loved Jesus with his whole heart, but had closed his heart to Mary. Then he realized that he had been snubbing His Lord's mother. He asked Jesus and Mary for forgiveness, and now prays the rosary with his children. |
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