SCRIPTURE

LUKE 9:18-27 TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Messiah of God.”

He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised…

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

MEDITATION

Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?….of course Jesus already knew…He wanted to ask his closest friends, who do they say He is….Who do I say Jesus is?….when Peter answered correctly Jesus rebuked them not to tell anyone now because He must suffer much for our sake…most would not understand…maybe we don’t understand our God suffering for us…

Jesus teaches His disciples… ….For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it… the path to glory and to life is the way of the cross… am I striving to be a disciple of Jesus… following Jesus means dying…dying to myself…offering myself up for others…if I give myself up for others in Jesus’ name…I will be raised up in glory too…if I refuse to follow Jesus…then what… What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?…

SILENT PRAYER

COMMENTARY
We have walked along the path with Jesus in towns such as Cana, Capernaum, Bethany, and Jerusalem, along the Sea of Tiberius, and Mount of Olives. He has preached in synagogues, on mountains, and in the plain He has fed the hungry, quenched the thirsty, healed the blind and those afflicted, forgiven sins and admonished sinners. He has touched and healed. Those who seek have found peace and wholeness. He is meek and humble of heart. A bruised reed, he does not stir. Before his ignominious execution at the hands of this world, He is glorified on Mount Tabor. He shares this glimpse of glory of what is to come with a few of his disciples that they might believe the Son of God will vanquish sin and death and reside at the right hand of the Father for all eternity. We are invited to join him.

JOHN 15:13-20 THIS I COMMAND YOU; LOVE ONE ANOTHER

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

MEDITATION
Jesus tells me that the more I imitate him…the more the world will treat me like they treated Him…if I am part of this world, the world would love me…I am in this world but I am not of it… I can expect to be rebuffed as Jesus was rejected by the world… I have thrown in my lot with Jesus…Jesus has chosen me to bring love into a world that hates and destroys life… on the cross Jesus was raised to glory by the Father… As I have loved you so you also should love one another…how do I love like Jesus…how does Jesus love…is it possible for me to deny Jesus like Peter…through selfishness…through cowardice…through indifference…let it not be so…if I truly am a disciple of Jesus I will love others….others will come to know Jesus by the love I show them….

SILENT PRAYER

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JOHN 6:5-15 MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES (LECTIO)

When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little (bit).” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
REFLECTION: (MEDITATIO)
Jesus saw the needs of the people without being told…Jesus knows our needs before we bring them to Him in prayer…prayer is not to change Jesus’ mind but to remind us of who is in charge…trust in Jesus…

his disciples try to help by telling Jesus of the few loaves and fishes….We are instruments in God’s hand…make ourselves available for when He calls..eyes and ears open each day for opportunities to serve…

Jesus has the people recline…Jesus is very aware of other people needs as well as their need for nourishment physically and spiritually….Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks…Jesus is always thankful to the Father…do we give thanks to the Father for everyday blessings..Jesus trusts the Father…

those in the crowd had their fill…Our God is a God of abundance, never stingy…there was much left over,… “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted…Jesus shows us how to be good stewards of the gifts of God….what kind of stewards are we…give thanks to God for He is good…His mercy endures forever

SILENT PRAYER (ORATIO)
JOHN 11:11-27,39-54 I AM THE RESURRECTION AND LIFE (LECTIO)

Jesus said to his disciples,”Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” The disciples didn’t understand so then Jesus said,”Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.”…

Martha ran to meet Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Jesus cried out in a loud voice,”Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied with burial bands, So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and Martha and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

REFLECTION: (MEDITATIO)
Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died….death is no obstacle to Jesus…Jesus is glad he was not there so that he can perform this miracle before witnesses that they might believe in him and him who sent him…miracles help reveal Jesus’ divinity but some miracles are not that dramatic…look for them in your own life…sin and death are vanquished by Jesus, Our Lord and Savior…Alleluia!

Martha believes if Jesus had been there her brother would not have died because God grants whatever Jesus requests…Martha believes in Jesus’ influence with the Father…He pleads at the right hand for us always…do we trust Jesus….Jesus tells Martha, I am the resurrection and life, whoever believes me will never die…Do we believe this as well…Martha professes her faith in Jesus…You are the Messiah, the Son of God…who do you believe Jesus to be…Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb…Lazarus comes out…and many began this day to believe in him…

SILENT PRAYER (ORATIO)

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JOHN 2:1-11 THE WEDDING AT CANA
There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew).
The headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

REFLECTION:
Mary, Jesus, and his disciples were invited to this wedding banquet. Must have been a pretty big affair to run out of wine…wedding celebrations lasted days back then and preparations were made…Could it be that it was not an accident but Divine Providence…Jesus addresses his mother as Women. Is He insulting her of course not! Could it be the title Women represented all mankind in need….Seek and you will find…Mary had no doubt her request would be answered; she told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”.Mary did not know what her Son would do, but she trusted Him. Do we trust Jesus to answer our prayers…

“My hour has not yet come“…God’s time is not our time…Jesus had not yet begun his public ministry…but then who can turn down a mother’s request….Jesus discerned this as a sign from his Father that it was time to let the rest of us in on the Good News..Jesus performed this first of His signs and revealed His glory… and so the disciples began to believe in Him…the kingdom of heaven is at hand…what are our expectations,,..what are the signs of Jesus’ intervention in my life…look closely… give thanks…

 

SILENT PRAYER

MARK 4:35-41 JESUS REBUKES THE SEA

On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.”

Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.

They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”

The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

REFLECTION:

Jesus was crossing the Sea of Galilee with his disciple…He was exhausted from all the teaching He had done to the multitudes, worn out emotionally too with the needs of the people and demands placed on him for healing…. Jesus fell asleep in the back of the creaky old fisherman boat. Afierce storm came up that terrified his disciples. Jesus must have really been tired since it didn’t awaken him or else He wasn’t worried by nature’s unpredictability.

So often storms come into our lives…We feel all alone…frightened…how long do I thrash about in the storm by myself…am I able to make the storm go away by myself…do I invite Jesus into the eye of the storm…He is my refuge, my only refuge…his disciples (fishermen) were afraid in the boat and woke Jesus..Jesus saw and heard their fear…He rebuked the wind and told the sea to Be still…the wind ceased and the sea became calm…Why child are you so terrified…I am with you…Be still and know that I am God….can we respond Yes, Lord, I trust you!

SILENT PRAYER

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