Today's Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28 Aging. I wonder some days if this isn’t one of the truest tests of discipleship. There is no “saving my life” in the physical sense, nor do I want to live forever in a world filled with difficulties and woe. Isn’t that what a cross is -- a challenging situation that, when carried well, takes us out of our self and into full dependence on God? It’s not a matter of winning or earning the Father’s love, for He already loves. And it’s not that God sends me illnesses in aging, that’s just part of the life on earth and parceled with the crosses we carry. One sign of discipleship is my conduct while carrying a cross. It is how I reveal Christ to others who are carrying theirs, to help them with their burdens but not alleviate them, for that individual must find their own way to glorify God under the weight of the wood. The way of discipleship is the way of the cross, a personal and communal Passion.

Ponder:

What are my crosses that are being borne, and do I carry them in such a way so as to reveal God’s love?

Pray:

Lord, as I age help me to wear my burdens of decline as a small badge bearing witness of being one step closer to home.
Copyright 2019 Margaret Rose Realy, Obl OSB Receive CatholicMom.com newsletters in your inbox, including the Daily Gospel Reflection each morning! * indicates required
Interests
  Gospel Reflections 800x800 gold outline

About the Author

Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB

Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB

Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB lives an eremitic life and authored A Garden Catechism, A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac,  A Garden of Visible Prayer: Creating a Personal Sacred Space One Step at a Time, and  Cultivating God’s Garden through Lent. An award-winning author, Margaret has a master’s degree in communications, is a Certified Greenhouse Grower, Master Gardener, liturgical garden consultant, and workshop/retreat leader.