“Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

My dear Friends in Christ,

What does Jesus mean when He says, “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” Is anything more universal than the cross? We see it on tattoos, jewelry, our foreheads on Ash Wednesday and, of course, in Church. Jesus knew the cross was His future. Jesus wanted them to “put to death” their own plans and desires and turn their lives over to Him, doing His will. It would require self-denial and obedience. To be a follower of Jesus, He asks for 100% complete dedication and no turning back. No wonder we still rebel at times! It requires tamping down our ego and putting God’s purposes, will, and thoughts in its place. Jesus tells us we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross, but it’s not something that is forced on us. To deny yourself is not the same as self-denial. I give up chocolate for Lent. That’s self denial. When we deny self, we make the choice to replace our desires, thoughts, and plans with God’s thoughts and purposes. We are called to live our lives centered on considering others first before ourselves. This is not an easy commitment to make. Taking up one’s cross daily is an expressed willingness to be His followers and to be His witnesses to “the ends of the earth.”

This weekend, we remember the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, the scene of unimaginable horror. We continue to honor our heroes, victims, and first responders of 9/11. We will never forget!

I will be away at the Priests Convocation September 14- 16. Please pray for our priests.

May God bless you all,

Father John