GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 5TH AUGUST 2016
FRIDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1ST READING: Nahum 2:1,3; 3:1-3, 6-7
PSALM: Deuteronomy 32:35-36, 39, 41
GOSPEL: Matthew 16:24-28
THEME: STAND UP FOR CHRIST
A pastor once stood at the entrance of his parish after service, greeting his parishioners as they went out. Upon noticing one of the men who hardly attended Church services, he said to him, “Friend, you must become an active member of the Church.” In response, the man said, “I am already an active member.” Startled by the response, the pastor said, “The only time we see you in Church is Christmas.” Quickly, the man responded, “Ah yes, I belong to the secret service of the army of the Lord.” It was an astute answer, but the truth of the matter is that there is nothing like belonging to the secret service of the Lord. You are either openly for Christ or you are not.
Jesus, in today’s Gospel text, tells his disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it” (Mt. 16:24-25).
The expression “to deny someone” means to disown a person. Hence to deny oneself in the above text is to disown oneself in favour of Christ. It means you no longer live for yourself but for Christ (cf. Gal. 2:20, 2Cor. 5:15).
When Jesus carried the cross from the praetorium of Pilate to Golgotha for our sake, he did so in full public glare. We too are called upon to carry the burden of our faith in the full glare of believers and non-believers alike. There is nothing secret about being a Christian. There is no point hiding our faith.
We are not to impose our faith on anybody or coerce people into following Christ. However, the values of our faith in Christ ought to be visible wherever we find ourselves. Everyone in our families, at our work places and in our neighbourhood ought to know that we are people of faith, belonging to Jesus Christ. Such an open self-disclosure will certainly come with some challenges, and herein lies the cross that Christ speaks of in the Gospel text. However, as the saying goes, “Without the cross, there is no crown”.
Lord Jesus, for love of you, I take up my cross and follow you. Amen
Fr. Andrews Obeng, SVD
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)