Reflection for February 19 Thursday after Ash Wednesday: Luke 9:22-25

Gospel: Luke 9:22-25

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?”

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Reflection:

Do we have a cross that we are carrying right now?

All of us, in one way or another, carry our own share of little and big crosses in life. Some crosses are visible, while others are hidden deep within our hearts. Yet each cross forms part of our journey as we walk with the Lord.

Jesus gives us this paradoxical yet life-giving message: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, 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?” (Luke 9:23–25)

At first, these words may seem difficult to understand. But when we open our hearts in faith, we realize that these are precious and priceless, wisdom-filled words from the Lord. The moment we decide to truly follow Jesus, we begin to let go of worldly attachments that pull us away from Him. With courage and trust, we carry our cross each day as we walk in His footsteps.

As we carry our daily cross, we slowly realize that it is not as heavy as we first thought, because Jesus is with us. He walks beside us. He strengthens us. He helps us carry whatever cross we have, making sure that the burdens we carry right now do not crush us but instead draw us closer to His loving heart.

When Jesus carried the cross toward Golgotha (Calvary), His cross became a sign of suffering and intense pain. Yet that same cross also became the sign of triumph and salvation. In the same way, when we carry our cross with Jesus, that cross can become our path to purification, transformation, triumph, and ultimately, salvation.

Our crosses may not disappear immediately. But when we carry them with faith, hope, and love, they are no longer meaningless burdens. They become sacred encounters where we experience the saving presence of Jesus in our lives.

So if we are carrying a cross right now, let us humbly ask Jesus to help us carry it. Let us trust that He is walking with us every step of the way, even when the road feels long and difficult. —Marino J. Dasmarinas