Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
REFLECTION
and He will repay each according to his conduct.
We have heard of the narrow road vs the wide road and my eyes automatically go to the answer I have been taught. We all know the narrow path is the right pick. My imagination takes me to a place where I merely say “yes” to His Will, to His commandments and I am in. For some it’s easy to follow His will because the road is clear, just narrow.
For others, many suffer physical, mental and spiritual illnesses. It seems the narrow path for them has rocks, sand, mud, weeds, uprooted trees, burrs or potholes. It is they whom I need help from so that I know how to accept His will but also embrace it without sad resignation or dragging the Cross. I must be evangelized by them.
Jesus tells us to give Him our burdens. As Jesus walks with us along the narrow path, it is He that clears up our messes and obstacles to holiness. The “images” of the narrow path are clear and clean because as Jesus walks with us here on earth, He is busy clearing the path and showing us the way.
Though we might betray His love, sin frequently and seriously, He forgives us even before we repent, helps us accept our divine punishments and accept a life marked by suffering if that be His will.
Edith Stein is an example of following His will, His Cross. She was the youngest of eleven children of a Jewish family. She converted to catholicism after reading the writings of St Teresa of Avila. She joined the Carmelite order after the Nazi regime's anti Semitic legislation. The Carmelites sent her to the Netherlands. After the Dutch Bishops' Conference condemned Nazi racism, the authorities ordered the arrest of all Jewish converts to Christianity. She died in Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.
God knows our hearts and thoughts and He can change hearts and attitudes. I ask, like Micah, for His merciful love for a sinner.
“Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sins for the remnant of his inheritance, who does not persist in anger, but instead delights in clemency and again will have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt?” You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.
(Micah 7:18)
With God by my side, I will receive the necessary graces to walk through not only a narrow path, but one filled with many obstacles. Always keeping Jesus before me as my guide, may I continue to seek Him and rest in eternal happiness with Him.
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