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Vocation Meditation -
June 20, 2010
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."
Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
What is the goal of your life? Is it wealth, health, physical love, adventure, or accolades? For too many persons, one or more of these is their heart's desire and the aim of all of their actions.
In today's gospel, Christ references public opinion to manifest Himself to His disciples and - by extension - to show the disciples the true goal of life: following Him to our salvation.
We are told that the crowds are intrigued by Christ. They think highly of Him. But they have not given up everything to follow Him because they view Him as a man, albeit a great man, one of the ancient prophets risen from the dead. Interesting as this is, no prophet is worth giving up everything to follow. How can a prophet compare with riches or lavish praise?
In contrast, it is the disciples, and St. Peter in particular, who see Jesus as the Christ. As the Son of God - one with God Himself - He is worth following, even to the point of losing one's life.
In the same way that Jesus is the only person worth giving your life to, the way in which one must follow Christ is also unique. It is not enough to pledge allegiance to Him or to associate with His Church. Christ wants each person's entire life. This requires a denial of self AND a placing of God's desires for us before our own.
Vocation Challenge:
Do you "take up your cross daily"?
Every day is an opportunity to align your will with Jesus' will. Are you asking yourself each day for the crosses that will bring you closer to Christ?
Dear Lord,
You chose the Cross as the way to show your infinite love for me. Give me the grace to accept my cross for love of you. Allow me to deny all that prevents me from following you. Amen.
For the full Gospel reading for this Sunday, visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.