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Jesus said of Himself "I am the way, the truth and the life" and in today's Gospel reading Jesus is inviting us to identify more closely with Him, to have His mind and His heart. If we do so then anyone who receives us receives Him and if we give a cup of cold water in His name we are doing it to Him.
Today's gospel seems to make a lot of demands, and yet Jesus is not asking anything that He has not already experienced in His own life. Doing His Father's will was His priority even though it cost Him a lot, leaving home, making costly choices, taking up His cross, even giving His life, but all in order that we might enjoy fullness of life and forever. Love was what enabled Him to do this.
Jesus tells us that whoever loses his life for His sake will find it and we will have our reward. Perhaps we have experienced in our own lives that giving of ourselves, our time, our gifts has been rewarding, not only for others but for ourselves. Like the woman in today's first reading - in giving hospitality to Elisha she was rewarded beyond her expectation.
Let us pray today, that we may be worthy of our calling and be ready and able to take up our cross and let go of whatever keeps us back from putting Jesus first in our lives.
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DAILY OFFERING
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Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.
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PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
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INTENTION
That our society should, with concrete acts of Christian and brotherly love, come to the aid of the millions of refugees who live in extreme need and abandonment.
Elaboration
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