Friday, August 05, 2016

 

Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome

05 August 2016   
Friday,18th Week  in Ordinary Time 
Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome 
Green.        

Na 2:1, 3;3:1 - 3, 6 – 7 / Mt 16:24 – 28

The divine motherhood of Mary was defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431.  Pope St. Sixtus III (Pope from 432 – 440) dedicated this basilica in honor of the Mother of God.

From the 1st Reading: Na 3:6 – 7
I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt, and make of you a shameful show, so that all who look on you will turn their backs in disgust and say: Nineveh – a city of lust – is in ruins, Who will mourn for her? Where can we find one to comfort her?
    
Gospel Reading: Mt 16: 24 - 28
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself? There is nothing you can give to recover your own self.

"Know that the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels, and he will reward each one according to his deeds. Truly, I tell you, there are some here who will not die before they see the Son of Man coming as king."

Reflection
In the first reading, the prophet Nahum describes the fall of Nineveh, a great Assyrian city.  Nineveh was known not only for its idolatrous religious practices but also for its ruthlessness towards other nations.  We also live in ruthless times where the strong step on the weak, and corruption is the order of the day.  Furthermore, many people worship money, sex, adultery, infidelity, prostitution, etc.  We must ask God to save us from these bad influences and to strengthen our resolve to be witnesses of Christ in the world.

In the Gospel reading, we are told that if we want to follow Jesus, we must carry our crosses.  One cannot follow Jesus and follow the ways of the world at the same time.  We are called to strip ourselves of our worldly desires. To carry one's cross also means to accept sufferings and problems which come our way.  We are often tempted to throw away our crosses and take the easy way out. So how then can we carry our crosses?  With the Lord's help and our willingness to walk in his footsteps. We must trust Jesus and believe that the cross is the best way to glorify God in our lives. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  We must believe that he has already conquered the world for us.  This gives us courage to do his will in our lives.    

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# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 2:11 PM
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