Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. — Psalm 40:5a

Mass Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20/Luke 9:22-25 

Carrying My Cross 

As I grew up in a small town in Oregon it was easy to believe that everyone was Catholic. Although “none of the above” is the most popular religion in Oregon, this town had a sizable Catholic population. Because I attended both Catholic grade school and high school, most people I knew were Catholic. It was in this isolated 1950s to early 1960s world that I learned what Catholics do. 

But I must have been dozing the day my teachers covered Jesus’ words from today’s Gospel: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 6:23). Now that I know these words my challenge is to transform them into words I live by and then continuing to do that each day. 

Prayer: Jesus, may I follow You each day without complaining.