First reading Nahum 2:1,3,3:1-3,6-7
Israel restored; Nineveh ruined
See, over the mountains the messenger hurries!
‘Peace!’ he proclaims.
Judah, celebrate your feasts,
carry out your vows,
for Belial will never pass through you again;
he is utterly annihilated.
Yes, the Lord is restoring the vineyard of Jacob
and the vineyard of Israel.
For the plunderers had plundered them,
they had broken off their branches.
Woe to the city soaked in blood,
full of lies,
stuffed with booty,
whose plunderings know no end!
The crack of the whip!
The rumble of wheels!
Galloping horse,
jolting chariot,
charging cavalry,
flash of swords,
gleam of spears…
a mass of wounded,
hosts of dead,
countless corpses;
they stumble over the dead.
I am going to pelt you with filth,
shame you, make you a public show.
And all who look on you will turn their backs on you and say,
‘Nineveh is a ruin.’
Could anyone pity her?
Where can I find anyone to comfort her?
Responsorial Psalm Deuteronomy 32:35-36,39,41
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
It is close, the day of their ruin;
their doom comes at speed.
For the Lord will see his people righted,
he will take pity on his servants.
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
See now that I, I am He,
and beside me there is no other god.
It is I who deal death and life;
when I have struck it is I who heal.
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
When I have whetted my flashing sword
I will take up the cause of Right,
I will give my foes as good again,
I will repay those who hate me.
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
Gospel Matthew 16:24-28
Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?
‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour. I tell you solemnly, there are some of these standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.’
___________________________________________
I no longer live, but Christ who lives in me
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die” (D. Bonhoeffer). These words from Bonhoeffer echo the words of Jesus in today’s gospel: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.” To follow Jesus implies the need to die to our ego. We often think that the whole world must revolve around our plans, likes, dislikes, desires, etc. We feel the need to be always right, to be important in the sight of others, to appear strong all the time, etc. When we let go of our ego, the emptiness inside us is filled by Jesus, whose presence guides us to look at ourselves and others in a whole new way. We can live for Christ and others only if we crucify our prideful ego.
Today, let Jesus be the centre of our lives. May we follow Him with faithfulness, humility and generosity.
Reflective question:
In what ways do I need to die to myself in order to live fully for Christ?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
