"Christ's self-sacrificing love."

He counted not His life dear unto Himself, but endured the cross, despising the shame.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

See, I set before you

Ｏn this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love the Lord, your God and follow his ways.

Observe his commandments, his norms and his laws, and you will live and increase,

and the Lord will give you his blessing in the land you are going to possess. But if your heart turns away and does not listen,

if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish.

You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan.

 

Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you.

I have set before your life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live,

loving the Lord, listening to his voice, and being one with him. In this is life for you and length of days

in the land which the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

 

Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 & 6  Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 9:22-25

And he added, "The Son of Man must suffer many things.

He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the law,

and be put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life."

 

Jesus also said to all the people, "If you wish to be a follower of mine,

deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me! For if you choose to save your life,

you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it.

What does it profit you to gain the whole world, if you destroy or damage yourself?

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Christ's self-sacrificing love."

Some popular products carry health warnings. We have grown more aware of the damaging

or even fatal long-term effects of smoking or of alcohol, and yet, as a society,

we have become less aware of the damaging effects of neglecting the health of one's soul.

 

Jesus challenges us by asking, "What does it profit you to gain the whole world,

if you destroy or damage yourself?" Here, Jesus' focus is on the whole person and their in-built call to eternal life.

If we focus simply on the material and neglect the spiritual, we might have a prosperous or pleasant life for a time,

but we will wither inside. Neglecting the spiritual leads to an excessive emphasis on the physical and the temporary,

as we put more and more effort into trying to make passing things seem eternal and

try to protect ourselves from harm in a vain attempt to keep young and steer clear of trouble.

 

But this attention on the physical and on the self, is not life-giving. Rather, the way to life,

love and happiness, both now and in eternity, is to deny our selfish interest and imitate Christ's self-sacrificing love.