This weekend marks the 20-year anniversary of the attacks on the world trade center in New York.  We were all shocked when we saw the atrocity of those acts of terrorism.  In the days that followed, we heard of the numerous lives lost in this tragedy – both those of victims stranded in the towers and those of first responders who rushed into the buildings trying to save others.  Sacrificing our life in hopes to save someone else relates to today’s gospel reading.  “Whoever wants to become My followers, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake, and the sake of the gospel, will save it.” 

 

Chances are we won’t be asked to give our life in this way, but the Lord is asking us through this gospel to be ready and willing to give our life for His sake.  He is urgently calling us back to Him, especially in these troubled times we have been experiencing. 

 

Throughout the summer, we have learned that through Jesus we obtain an abundance of life, that He is the bread of life.  Everything was created in Him and for Him.  Every beauty and goodness and truth on Earth reflects the beauty of Christ.  There would have been nothing on Earth, nothing created without Him.  Nevertheless, the creator of the universe came down from heaven to earth to suffer and to die for each one of us.  We all were created through Him and for Him, and our sins have been paid for by His death and resurrection. 

 

Christ is always there ready to embrace us, no matter the circumstances.  There is nothing we can do, no sin is too great that He won’t forgive.  In fact, the only thing, that keeps us away from Him is our own indifference caused by our pride and stubbornness.  The result of this is being lukewarm in our faith.  We need to guard our hearts against this with every fiber of our being.  

 

We need to get to that point in our relationship with the Lord that cries out like Peter in the gospel, “You are the Christ!”

 

We are all called to this conviction of heart and mind that Jesus is the Christ!  That type of conviction that means we’re ready to die for Him.  If we haven’t gotten to that type of relationship yet, then it’s time to start.  And it begins with a decision, an act of our will.  “Lord help me to love you in this way.  Teach me your ways, help me to die to self and live for You.”  This is what it means to be humble, it is seeking the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul.   It is that simple.

 

My friends, like those who perished during the Sept 11^th attacks, we never know when we will have to suffer for our faith.  We need to be ready, we need to stay close to Christ. 

 

We can be assured that the Lord will be with us, when we strive to fight for a relationship with Him.  He is faithful and He will help us in our journey.  He will fight for us and will give us the graces and mercy we need to become saints so that we may be in heaven with Him for all eternity.  

Let us continue to pray for each other and with each other as we share the message of God's Mercy

Fr. Gerard Monaghan