Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 17, 2023
Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“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
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
What could one give in exchange for his life?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words
in this faithless and sinful generation,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of
when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
He also said to them,
“Amen, I say to you,
there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.”
Today’s gospel has one of the most challenging messages for me. Jesus asks us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him. The cross, a cruel execution, means many different things in our faith. It symbolizes the suffering that Jesus went through, but it also represents his radical love for us.
As we approach the season of Lent, how do we take up our cross and deny ourselves? We generally give up something that we enjoy, and I’ve tied it to simple little things like food for most of my life.
But is Lent just a time to go on a diet? I don’t think that is exactly what Jesus means. Instead of giving up junk food, we are really asked to ponder those larger, more subtle things we desire that we should try to do without—things like excessive self-regard, fear of losing control, or avoiding emotional pain.
The next part of Jesus’ challenge is to pick up one’s cross. So not only do we have to deny ourselves, but we have to go over and voluntarily pick up our crosses. How? Do an additional daily act of love. But again, not something too easy—can we be more deliberate? What is an act of service that we usually avoid because it is inconvenient or makes us impatient?
To follow Christ is an act of will to take on and offer up the weight of our sin, despair, and sorrow and transform it into something radical—love. More than avoiding candy jars or picking up trash in our neighborhoods, this radical call reaches into our very souls and brings us into the eternal life of God.
With Christ’s help, may we be bold, deny the self, pick up the cross, and follow him.
Prayer
Father, give us the courage to be faithful to Christ and his words in the midst of our own faithless and sinful generation. May we never be ashamed to be called Christians, servants of the kingdom of God and not of the world.
Saint of the Day
St. Alexis Falconieri was a wealthy noble in one of Italy’s most wealthy and cultured cities, yet he left that life behind him when Mary visited him and asked him to dedicate his life to God. The spirituality he helped forge continues to shape the world, and even reaches to Notre Dame.
He was born in Florence in 1200, the son of a wealthy merchant. Even as a child, he was known for his piety and humility.
As a young man, he joined an organization dedicated to honoring the Blessed Virgin, and in 1233, he and six other men from this group received a vision of Mary. She asked these seven young nobles to dedicate their lives to God, and they did, founding a religious order. They took up a common life together, and were later again visited by Mary, who held a black habit and told them, "I have chosen you to be my first Servants, and under this name you are to till my Son's vineyard. Here, too, is the habit which you are to wear; its dark color will recall the pangs which I suffered on the day when I stood by the cross of my only Son.”
They named the community the Order of the Servants of Mary, now known as the Servites. The order spread, especially through Germany and France, and within a few years, some 10,000 had joined their community.
The Servites were the first to promote a special devotion to Mary under the title, Our Lady of Sorrows. This devotion had a great impact upon Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross—he placed the Congregation under her patronage. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Sept. 15, remains an important day in the lives of the priests, brothers, and sisters of Holy Cross.
After receiving his vision of Mary, St. Alexis left all he had, took on a vow of poverty, and depended upon others for his food and shelter. Just months earlier, he had been seen as one of the most prominent nobles of Florence, and now he was wandering the region begging alms for the support of the Servite community.
His humility remained a defining characteristic—he thought himself unworthy to seek ordination to the priesthood. Alexis lived for 110 years, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Alexis Falconieri, who left a life as a prominent noble to become a humble servant of Mary—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Alexis Falconieri is in the public domain. Modified from the original. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
