Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Intention: For God’s blessing and guidance this week on our District’s first Mission Assembly.
Today’s Gospel | Luke 9:18-24
Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He scolded them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
From the Eighth Meditation for the Time of Retreat | St. John Baptist de La Salle
You, then, who have succeeded the Apostles in their work of catechizing and instructing the poor, if you want to make your ministry as useful to the Church as it can be, you must every day teach them catechism, helping them learn the basic truths of our religion, following the example of the Apostles, which is that of Jesus Christ, who devoted himself every day to this task. Like them you must also withdraw afterward to direct your attention to reading and to prayer, to learn thoroughly the truths and the holy maxims that you wish to teach, and through prayer to draw down God’s graces, which you need to do this work according to the Spirit and the intention of the Church, which entrusts it to you.
Prayer
Eternal Father, in our image of our Lord as our gentle and good shepherd, we can often overlook that he did not proclaim an easy Gospel. The demands of the Kingdom call us to humility and discipline and service. We pray for the grace and the inspiration to see our world through your eyes, embracing every opportunity that we can to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. May we go to the places that he dared to go and seek to love and serve the people that he did. Make of us true and determined disciples. We ask this of who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.