THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY - Gospel (Luke 9:22-25) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“What profit is there for one to gain in the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” (Lk 9:25)

FIRST READING - Deuteronomy 30:15-20

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy

Moses said to the people:

"Today I have set before you

life and prosperity, death and doom.

If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God,

which I enjoin on you today,

loving him, and walking in his ways,

and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees,

you will live and grow numerous,

and the LORD, your God,

will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.

If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen,

but are led astray and adore and serve other gods,

I tell you now that you will certainly perish;

you will not have a long life

on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy.

I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:

I have set before you life and death,

the blessing and the curse.

Choose life, then,

that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God,

heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.

For that will mean life for you,

a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore

he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Luke 9:22-25

From the Gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to his disciples:

"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.

What profit is there for one to gain the whole world

yet lose or forfeit himself?"

THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY - Gospel (Luke 9:22-25)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, Jesus prophesied to His disciples that “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."'

Resurrection is joy and happiness for all those who dare to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow the Lord. But if there is only suffering without a resurrection, then that suffering is useless.

Therefore, God wants all those who are carrying the cross to follow Him, those who are giving up everything to live for Him and for the Gospel, to be at peace.

Because when suffering and carrying the cross with Him, the joy and happiness of the afterlife await all of God's children—those who dare to sacrifice, dare to deny themselves to follow Him.

He also revealed that all the apostles, disciples, and those who are following Him in today's era must also experience suffering, be excluded, and be killed spiritually as well as physically. But God is always with them, and He promises to give them eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven in the future.

Today's Word of God also revealed that Jesus came to earth to become a human being to redeem humanity from sin. He died, and after three days, He was resurrected. The resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of victory over death. The pinnacle of that resurrection will also be for all those who dare to sacrifice, deny themselves, and faithfully carry the cross to follow Him.

Therefore, God calls on those who are following Him to live joyfully, happily, and peacefully, to joyfully accept all suffering in all circumstances. Because the Son of God has been resurrected, all those who are following the Holy Teacher Jesus, and are faithful and loyal to Him until their last breath, will also be resurrected with Him.

Today, God also says to everyone: '"What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?"

Today, many people have everything, power, and authority, but they use those things to oppress others, oppress their fellow human beings, to eliminate and kill others.

The question is, do the souls of those people still belong to God? God revealed that their souls have been sold to Satan and will be guarded by Satan in this life and the next. If the soul does not repent and plead for God's mercy, it will follow Satan and become the legions of Satan, where suffering and sinking in the never-ending fire of purgatory.

Thanks be to God. Amen.