Contemplating today's Gospel
Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)
You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever. Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”
Fr. Joaquim FONT i Gassol (Igualada, Barcelona, Spain)Today the Gospel speaks to us of two complementary themes: our daily cross and its fruit, that is, Life with a capital L, supernatural and eternal.
We stand up to listen to the Holy Gospel, as a sign of wanting to follow its teachings. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, a clear expression of not following "the pleasure of our whims" - as the psalm mentions - or of putting aside "deceitful riches", as St. Paul says. Taking up one's own cross is accepting the small mortifications that we find each day along the way.
The phrase that Jesus said in the priestly sermon in the Cenacle can help us in this: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit." (Jn 15:1-2). An enthusiastic gardener pampering the bunch so that it may reach a great height! Yes, we want to follow the Lord! Yes, we are aware that the Father can help us to bear abundant fruit in our earthly life and then to enjoy eternal life.
St. Ignatius guided St. Francis Xavier with the words of today's text: "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mk 8:36). Thus, he became the patron of the Missions. In the same vein, we read the last canon of the Code of Canon Law (n. 1752): "(...) the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church, is to be kept before one’s eyes." St. Augustine has the famous lesson: "Animam salvasti tuam predestinasti," which the popular adage has been translated as: "Whoever obtains the salvation of a soul, has his own already assured." The invitation is obvious.
Mary, the Mother of Divine Grace, gives us her hand to advance on this path.
Thoughts on Today's Gospel
"I am still a slave. But if I suffer, I shall be emancipated by Jesus Christ; and united to him, I shall rise to freedom." (Ignatius of Antioch)
"The theological, spiritual and ascetic tradition, from the most ancient times, has maintained the need to follow Christ in the passion, not only as an imitation of his virtues, but also as a cooperation in the universal redemption" (St. John Paul II)
"The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the "one mediator between God and men" (1 Tim 2:5). But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, "the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery" is offered to all men (Second Vatican Council). He calls his disciples to "take up [their] cross and follow (him)" (Mt 16:24) (...)." (Catechism Of The Catholic Church, Nº 618)
