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It is through conscience that we see and recognize the demands of the divine law. We are bound to follow this conscience faithfully in all our actions so that we may come to God, who is our true destiny.
- Documents on Religious Liberty, Vatican Council II
(How do you experience conscience? Spend some time listening for God's guidance in conscience for an important decision you are considering.)
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NA 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7; DET 32:35-36, 39, 41
MT 16:24-28
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.”
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process?” —Matthew 16:26
Every human being wants to show a profit. Most try to save their lives by taking control of things, working hard, and making things happen. That’s what the people of Nineveh did. They raised up great armies and undertook monumental campaigns. By human standards it appeared they were showing a profit, but it turned out just the opposite. The end result for Nineveh was: “Everyone who sees you runs from you, saying, ‘Nineveh
is destroyed; who can pity her?’ ” (Na 3:7)
The same thing happens to individuals. If we take charge of our lives, it will backfire and we ruin them (Mt 16:26). How did we ever get the impression we were the ones to manage our lives? We’re just not right for the job and our record proves it. The best thing we can do is deny ourselves and get down to the job we are fitted for, the job of cross-bearing (Mt 16:24). We don’t like the job, but by God’s grace we can do it
well. We can lay down our lives for one another. We can suffer persecution for Jesus’ sake. It’s difficult, but we can do the job faithfully. Let’s quit our volunteer job of running our own lives and accept the job that will give us a profit in the long run. “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt 16:25).
Prayer: Father, forgive me for being self-employed, rather than God-employed.
Promise: “The Son of Man will come with His Father’s glory accompanied by His angels. When He does, He will repay each man according to his conduct.” —Mt 16:27
Presentation Ministries
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Abandonment to Divine Providence
- by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
BOOK II,
CHAPTER III. THE TRIALS CONNECTED WITH THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT
SECTION IV. Distrust of self
The fourth trial of souls in the state of abandonment: the obscurity of their state, and their apparent opposition to the will of God.
It is from this sad trial that the principal merit of the state of abandonment is gained. Now all is of a nature to withdraw the soul from its narrow path of love and simple obedience and it requires heroic virtue and courage to keep firm in plain active fidelity, and to sing its part in a song that seems to express in its tones that the soul is mistaken and lost; while grace sings a second. It does not hear this,
however, and if it has courage to let the thunder roll, the lightning flash, and the tempest roar, and to walk with a firm tread in the path of love and obedience, of duty, and of the present attraction, it can be compared to the soul of Jesus during His passion, when our divine Saviour walked steadfastly in the fulfiling of the will of His Father, and in His love which imposed upon Him a task apparently quite inconsistent with the dignity of a soul of such sanctity as His.
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