Dt 30:15-20; psalm 1 blessed are they who hope in the Lord; Luke 9:22-25
Opening prayer at Mass: "lord, may everything we do begin with your inspiration, continue with your help, and reach perfection under your guidance. We ask this through Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen"
Jesus invites us to "deny ourselves" and "take up our cross daily" and only then will we truly discover who we are and learn to live fully the life we have been given.
Denial simply means we have the courage and strength to say 'no' to our selfish desires. We can renounce ourself so that we can be for others.
Lent is an opportunity to practice "living without" so we can truly "live for others." This is a life of denial.
We learn to say 'no' so that we can say 'yes.' We say 'no' in order to take possession of ourselves and then we can truly give ourselves faithfully and fully. every 'no' directed toward a greater 'yes.'
Each day during lent we say 'no'; each day in lent we say 'yes'; each day in lent we take possession of ourself; each day in lent we are able to give ourself away.
Denial is the pathway to freedom. We must daily walk that path trusting that we do not walk alone but we follow the one who goes before us living for others in giving his all.
We are not doing what Jesus ask, we are doing what he did.
Reflection point: "I have called you not to the secular journey where you must make everything in your life now as pleasant as possible. I have called you to the spiritual journey, to a process of enlarging your heart to desire Me above everything else..."
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