THE DIFFICULTY OF UNDERSTANDING SACRIFICE - 9/24/22 (Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time)

Luke 9:44-45

“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092422.cfm

Blessed Saturday! God is our refuge at all times. He is not just above us or at our side, but He is also dwelling within our bodies. Jesus is showing us His infinite love by His willingness to endure the sufferings He endured on the cross for our salvation. This means that He is always with us, especially when we experience sufferings due to many trials. However, there may be times when we do not understand the purpose of suffering and the importance of sacrifices. Even in the gospel reading for today, the disciples did not understand the saying of Christ about His passion and death on the Cross. For us to be able to bear our crosses and give ourselves totally to Christ, we need to know at least two of the difficulties we have when it comes to understanding sacrifice. 

The first difficulty involves in prioritizing other things and not eternal life in heaven. The disciples were aware of the miracles, healings, exorcisms and other wonders that Jesus performed. But, despite all of these things, they still did not understand His words pertaining to His sufferings. It could be that despite all of these things, they still had an attachment to worldly things and to receiving honors and praises from other people. At this time, they were unable to see that the Kingdom of Christ was different from earthly kingdoms. In the same way, we may be too focused on our jobs, on money, and on other worldly and temporal goods that there is a tendency to neglect the importance of following God's will. Everlasting happiness in union with God is infinitely worth more than everything that the world offers. God is reminding us to change our perspective and by doing so, we will be more capable, by God's grace, to accept sufferings in life and remain faithful to God because we know that what matters more is not the things of the world but solely the love of God. 

The second difficulty is our attachment to sins. We know that sins are contrary to God's will, and these things are offensive to Him. But, why do we still do it? It's because of the satisfactions due to sin which we are attached to, especially when we experience temptations. All temptations provide satisfaction for us, especially the temptation of lust that causes other people to even justify it. And, when these pleasures are deprived from the people, it may cause them to feel empty. With the disciples of Christ, they were unable to understand the message of Christ, not because God intentionally did it, but it's due to their blindness at that time. Let's remember that God can bring greater good out of the evil in this world. When the disciples were unable to understand Christ, they fell to confusion and distress as they witnessed the death of Jesus. But, with this painful experience, God humbled them and made them realize the importance of the Cross and of following Him. The same is true for us. God may allow us to even fall from many trials for us to be more humble and realize that our true purpose in life is to love God which also means to turn away from our sins. 

Experiencing sufferings in life is hard and painful. But, as long as we are open to God's graces and wisdom, we can be able to know why we experience them and understand that this is the means by which we can persevere in holiness. Let's not forget that God is always with us, and He is our strength during these periods in our life. May we also look at the Blessed Virgin Mary as our example. The disciples did not understand, but they did not ponder on Christ's words either. Meanwhile, the Blessed Virgin Mary did not understand everything that happened because of her natural limitation as a human being, but she continuously trusted in God and reflected in her heart the mysteries of God. May we ask for help from the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially as we meditate the life of Christ in the rosary. Let's not lose hope amidst all trials because Jesus destroyed death through the cross for us to have eternal life through our own crosses. 

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

Amazing Testimony on Rosary:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FFyRwJBExMk

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

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

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

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