“DO NOT RECEIVE CHRIST IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT SO THAT YOU MAY USE HIM AS YOU JUDGE BEST

BUT GIVE YOUR SELF TO HIM AND LET HIM RECEIVE YOU IN THIS SACRAMENT,

SO THAT HE HIMSELF, GOD YOUR SAVIOUR MAY DO TO YOU AND THROUGH YOU, WHATEVER HE WILLS."

                                                                                                            - Saint Cajetan

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

 Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7

See, there

On the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news,

one who proclaims peace.

Judah, celebrate your feasts and carry out your vows.

For the wicked have been destroyed, they will not attack you anymore.

Yahweh will now restore Jacob's magnificence, like Israel's splendor.

For they had been plundered, laid waste as a ravaged vineyard.

 

Woe to the bloody city, city of lies and booty, O city of unending plunder!

But what! Crack of whips, rumble of wheels and clatter of hoofs!

See the frenzied chargers, the flashing swords and glittering spears,

the heaps of the wounded, the dead and dying – we trip over corpses!

I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make of you a shameful show,

so that all who look on you will turn their backs in disgust and say: Nineveh – a city of lust – is in ruins.

Who will mourn for her? Where can we find one to comfort her?

 

Dt 32:35cd-36ab, 39abcd, 41

It is I who deal death and give life.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Matthew 16:24-28

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself.

Take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it,

but the one who loses his life, for my sake, will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world,

if he destroys his soul? Or what can a person give, in exchange for his life?

Know that the Son of Man will come, in the glory of his Father with the holy angels,

and he will reward each one according to his deeds. Truly, I tell you,

there are some standing here who will not taste death, before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

To prioritize God's kingdom over personal desires.

Jesus calls His followers to a radical commitment that involves self-denial, carrying one's cross,

and a willingness to lose one's life for His sake. Discipleship is not about superficial faith

or comfortable Christianity – it is a profound surrender to the transformative power of Christ.

Taking up the cross means embracing sacrifice, suffering, and even rejection,

just as Jesus did. This call challenges us to prioritize God's kingdom over personal desires,

seeking eternal treasures instead of earthly gain.

 

Although it may seem daunting, discipleship is not a burden but a path to true freedom.

It invites us to let go of what hinders our spiritual growth and trust in God's promises.

In surrendering ourselves, we discover the fullness of life in Christ – a life filled with purpose, love, and eternal hope.

This journey is not easy, but it is worthwhile. As we respond to the call of discipleship,

we align our lives with the divine mission, becoming bearers of God's grace and truth to the world.