SELF-DENIAL - 8/5/22 (Memorial of Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major)

Matthew 16:24

“Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” 

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080422.cfm

Blessed Memorial of Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major! Our Lord Jesus tells us that those who want to come after Him must deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow Him. Why do we have to even deny ourselves of what we want? Sometimes, we only seek the things that give us satisfaction, but in reality, God is reminding us that we should persevere in our self-denial in order to be truly happy. We cannot do the will of God amidst the sufferings we experience if we are attached to worldly things. 

By doing good works, our hearts become more open to God's graces which enable us to be more faithful to Him. However, by committing acts that are not ordered towards God's glory, we become more attached to our sins. This is the effect of our bad works, especially since our sins darken our intellect and make it more difficult for us to listen to our conscience. God wants what is really best for us, and this is why He reveals to us the truth about self-denial and sacrifice. At the same time, He respects our freedom when we consciously choose to fall to temptations. These temptations are lies that come from the devil. Our Lord wants us to be cautious when we have thoughts as if happiness cannot be present in sufferings or we should stay away from sufferings. These are lies because they are contrary to the example of Jesus, who is the Truth. 

Jesus loves us so much that He did not just teach through words about sacrifice, but also through His crucifixion. Even though He's God, He willingly carried the cross, accepted the sufferings, and bore our sins on the cross. Our Lord shows us His pure love, so we can also love Him and our neighbors purely as well. This means that we should be willing to do the will of God, even during the times that we suffer, and not just during the times that things go our way. Maybe, one of the reasons why it's difficult to bear the sacrifices is because we are accustomed to the worldly idea of happiness. It's as if the source of our joys is when we reach the pinnacle of success, when we become on top of one another, and when we receive praises from people. As such, when what takes place is the opposite, we may be tempted to fall to discouragement, sadness and despair, because we depend on worldly things and others instead of God. 

Through His example on the Cross, our Savior reminds us that the most important thing is union with Him. What is the point of being rich and being the best in the world if we are going to lose our own soul due to our sins? Despite the fact that we fall as we carry our crosses, God is always merciful, and He is always extending His hand to us. He gives us hope, and we can find true happiness in Him. God loves us no matter what we achieve in life. His love is unconditional. All we need to do is to deny ourselves of the temptations, occasions of sins, pleasures, and worldly things. By doing this, we can experience interior joy because of committing ourselves to God's will. 

Today, we are commemorating the dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The Basilica was dedicated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, and the Mother of God. She also experienced numerous sufferings. She saw firsthand how the world hated her own Son, our Lord Jesus  Christ, even when He was still an infant due to King Herod. She saw how the Jews rejected the God whom they worshipped. She suffered the most by witnessing the death of Christ. And yet, she fully cooperated to the will of God, and she offered herself in union with the redemptive work of Christ. Let's pray the rosary and meditate on the mysteries, especially the sorrowful mysteries. Let's imagine in our minds the sacrifice of Christ and ask help from our Mother Mary. We are in need of God's graces and prayers of our Lady to persevere in self-denial and in our own sacrifices. We can only find salvation and true peace in God's will. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

For more information on the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-5---dedication-of-the-basilica-of-saint-mary-major/

For the summary of the teachings of the Catholic Church, click here:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

For the examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

For more information on how to pray the rosary, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/the-most-holy-rosary/