SAINT CLARE, VIRGIN (MEMORIAL)

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself.

Humans aren’t naturally wired to deny themselves. Like young children, we want, we want, we want! That’s why when we read Jesus’ words in the Gospel today, we might cringe a little.

The truth is, most of us aren’t called to live the ascetical life of a monk. However, our day-to-day lives offer us plenty of opportunities to deny ourselves. Jesus promised, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). So what are those little losses that can help us “find” more abundant life in Christ?

For starters, you may have to lose a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning so that you have enough time to pray. Or maybe you need to give up an evening in front of the TV so you can sit with the Lord in Adoration. And what do you find when you do? The love, mercy, and comfort that the Lord longs to give you.

How about “losing” the right to have the last word in an argument or the right to hold a grudge? Or forgoing those many opportunities to criticize people or to indulge in judgmental or self-righteous thoughts? In the long run, you just might find your relationships becoming more loving and fruitful.

There’s always a loss of income that comes with a charitable donation, and volunteering for a parish ministry usually means giving up some free time. But there’s also the joy and satisfaction you get from giving of yourself and providing for the needs of other people.

Self-denial and self-discipline can be difficult, especially when we don’t see any immediate fruit coming from them. Yet Jesus promises a reward even greater than the ones we can receive in this life: the privilege of one day living with him in his heavenly kingdom (Matthew 16:27).

What is God asking you to “lose” today? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see where an instance of self-denial will draw you closer to him or better reflect his love to the world. If it seems too simple, do it anyway. It might just be another step in “finding” your life in him.

“Jesus, help me to take up my cross and follow you in all things.”

Deuteronomy 4:32-40
Psalm 77:12-16, 21
Matthew 16:24-28