SATURDAY, EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of Saint Dominic
Dt 4:32-40 Ps 77:12-16, 21 Mt 16:24-28
DENY THE FALSE SELF
In the first reading, Moses invites the Israelites to introspect on their experience of God in their life – He who delivered Israel from Egypt “by trials, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by terrifying displays of power.” God alone delivered Israel from Egypt with no mention of human activity. This shows the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods. No other god has ever spoken to a group of people like this. This is the first time in history that God spoke to a group this size. He then concludes that “the Lord is God indeed” and therefore the Israelites ought to “keep his commandments.” Have our little gods of comfort and pleasure brought us any measure of joy? The psalmist, despite his current distress, chooses to recall God’s past interventions and miraculous actions, particularly the Exodus and the Red Sea crossing. This act of remembrance is a way to rid doubt and re-establish faith in God’s power and faithfulness.
Jesus declares that if anyone wants to become His follower, they must be willing to deny themselves and take up their cross. In calling for self-denial, Jesus is not trying to put off all joy or fulfilment in life. The self we are to deny is what we might call the false self – the self that wants to be at the centre of everything and is always seeking its own satisfaction and gratification. Jesus declares that if we are to follow Him, we must lose this false self. This loss will be painful; denying this self will involve the cross. Yet, Jesus declares that this is the only way to live in the truth. Our true self, our best self, is the self that should be open to the Lord’s love, that allows us to be transformed.
Response: I remember the deeds of the Lord.
Copyright ©2025 ©Springs of Living Water http://springs.carmelmedia.in