LORD THAT I MAY SEE: THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

A SHORT COMMENTARY ON TH GOSPEL FOR TODAY ACCORDING TO THE CATHOLIC LECTIONARY

Gospel

Luke 9:22-25

Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it

1.      Jesus said to his disciples:

2.      ‘The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously,

3.      to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes

4.      and to be put to death,

5.      and to be raised up on the third day.’

 

6.      Then to all he said:

 

7.      ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine,

8.      let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.

9.      For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it;

10.  but anyone who loses his life for my sake,

11.  that man will save it.

12.  What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world

13.  and to have lost or ruined his very self?’

 

if you haven’t realised that life is warfare, you haven’t understood life in this world. You will become a victim of the enemy.

The life of Jesus, our guru and leader, shows it from the very beginning to the end. Satan is the ‘prince of this world.’ He has captured it by deceit. Men and women have fallen for his deceptive words promising the happiness they seek. The result is unhappiness and distress. His deceptive word: sin and get what you want and be happy. The truth is: sin and die and get a harvest of misery. No one want to hear this.

Jesus resisted Satan throughout his life. The conscious and unconscious allies of Satan lined up against him and brought about his death on the Cross.

If we want to follow Jesus, then we must join him in his war against Satan.  Satan and his allies will line up against you too. It will be a life-long battle – mainly temptation that comes from all sources. Yield and die, fight them and live. If you trust in the Lord, he will be your shield and you will be safe. Otherwise you will perish in your sins and be the eternal captive of the enemy, Satan.

Jesus conquered Satan on the Cross and lives for ever in glory. We must conquer Satan on the Cross too. It’s hard and uninviting. But it brings the same life of glory when the war is over.

Refuse to fight against his temptations and assaults and we die, and for ever. The choice is ours, now.

Lent is a wake-up call for battle.