Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 9, 2019
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.”
My husband and I welcomed our first child last June. Prior to becoming a parent, I had imagined that, much like getting a work project done on deadline or finding the perfect vacation rental, life with children is something you can usually control. I quickly realized that no matter how many sleep training books you read, sometimes your infant just won’t sleep. No matter how vigilant you are, medical emergencies happen unexpectedly.
God has been working through my new motherhood to teach me humility. In the past, I haven’t dealt well with circumstances outside of my control, but the Lord has been teaching me that “to lose my life for his sake” (MT 16:24-28) means putting complete trust in God’s plans for my life. God invites me to lean into the promise that “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The tension in this Gospel between gaining and forfeiting, saving and losing, can make the reader feel pulled between the human and the divine. An exchange Jesus has with Peter just before today’s passage sheds light on that tension. Jesus is explaining to his disciples how he must “… be killed and on the third day be raised.” (MT 16:21). Peter insists no such thing can happen. Jesus rebukes him: “Get behind me Satan!…You are thinking not as God does, but as humans do.” (MT 16:22-23).
That last part hits hard. Our culture encourages unquenched ambition and unceasing consumption. Through constant striving, we could “gain the world” (and its approval) but at what cost? Perhaps we would forfeit eternal life. Instead, let’s surrender our need for control to the Lord and open ourselves to the wondrous plans God has in store for us.
Prayer
God of all wisdom and grace, you call us to proclaim the truth of our faith wherever your Spirit leads us. Give us courage and determination to follow your Son, even to the cross. May our lives reflect your radiance as you lead us into your promise of everlasting life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Edith Stein was a brilliant philosopher who came to the Catholic faith through her intellectual pursuit of the truth.
She was born to a large Jewish family in Poland in 1891, and was an extraordinary student. She earned her doctorate in philosophy at the age of 25, and it was the witness of some of her friends that initially invited her to consider the Christian faith. She saw the strength of their faith, and began studying the Catholic tradition. She converted, and later became a Carmelite nun and taught in European universities as a member of the intellectual elite.
Her order relocated her to a convent in Holland because of her Jewish heritage, but she was eventually hunted down by the Nazis and was killed in a gas chamber in Auschwitz in 1942.
St. Edith Stein is the patron saint of Europe. Her story and image are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.
St. Edith Stein, who searched for truth in philosophy and found Catholicism before being killed by Nazis—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Edith Stein is an illustration by Julie Lonneman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of her art. Used with permission.