Mark 8:31-38
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
"For my sake," says the Lord.
Today's Gospel keeps us with Jesus' foretelling His Passion and Resurrection; and the refusal of the disciples, even to rebuke Him, of this announcement. But Jesus knows what He speaks about. He invites all of His disciples at all times to understand why He came down from His Glory and how to share it with us.
Through this Lenten time of fasting, we are urged to think about how to be His disciples today, as those were in the past, and those that will be in the future.
In verse 34, Jesus shares three basic conditions that pave the way to reach that goal---
Deny myself. What does that mean to me? Am I ready to turn away from my desires that contradict the Lord's love and will? Can I continue to put my thoughts, desires and acts as a new self in Christ, as St. Paul sums up that, "I may live for Christ who is living within me" Galatians 2:20?
Carry my cross. This means to lay all of my troubles, fears and weaknesses on Jesus' altar. Never accept a half-hearted love. Have a firm faithfulness to commitments and live the truth that I am crucified with Christ, even if I have to face shame, rejection -- and even persecution. Within this acceptance of emulating Christ, a voice will encourage us, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest!" Matthew 11:28.
Follow me. Do your best to be disciples who accept living His life of love, never divided or compromised, practice self-denial, carry your crosses with Christ, be an instrument of peace, and empty yourself with humility. Most important is to be sure that He is present with you as the Crucified and Risen Christ.
May whatever form our Lenten fasting is help us to think and put His words into action, for His sake!
