First Reading Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
In the desert beyond the Jordan Moses said to his people, "Remember this day I turned unto life and fortune, death and accidents. Because today I command you to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and adhering to the laws, statutes and ordinances.
Thus you may live and multiply and be blessed by the Lord, your God, in the land which you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turn away and you do not want to hear, especially if you want to be misled
to bow down to other gods and worship him, and today I tell you that you shall surely perish,
and will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: To you I have set before life and death,
blessing and a curse. Choose life so that you will not die, both you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and cling to Him. For that means life to you and extend your time to live in the promised land the Lord swore to your fathers, unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give it to them. "
Thus saith the Lord.
Psalm Ps 1: 1-2.3.4.6
Blessed are those, who put his trust in God.
* Blessed are those who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked, who does not stand in the way of sinners, and who does not sit in the set of scoffers;
but the favorite is the law of God, and meditate day and night.
* He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which produces fruit in its season, and never wither; what he doeth shall prosper.
* Not so the wicked are like chaff in the wind.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew 4:17
Repent, saith the Lord, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Gospel reading Luke 9: 22-25
On one occasion Jesus told his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day. And he said to them all, "If anyone would come after me must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What the use of a gain the whole world, but he destroy or harm himself?
Thus the Gospel of the Lord.
Devotional.
Everyone has to face challenges and difficulties. For example, a high school student living in the interior of East Nusa Tenggara have to walk 8 km every day from home to kesekolahan. Of the road is not a highway smooth and full of vehicles, but a small road in the forest and past the small bridge over the river. In order to achieve their future goals, the child had to struggle to face the challenges and difficulties.
Actually, the challenge was encountered in every aspect of human life, whether the scope of education, family, mesyarakat, church and so on. The challenges of life, not on the same level, in the sense that there is a mild, moderate, severe and very severe.
In today's Gospel reading (Luke 9: 22-25) Jesus tells a very serious challenge, namely deny themselves, take up the cross every day and sacrificed their lives for Him. This requirement is heavy, but each of His followers must have the courage to face it. A meaningful life is a life that is willing to lose yourself for the sake of God and neighbor.
However, at this age the tendency many people are looking for the most enjoyable thing for him and trying to avoid the difficult and uncomfortable .. There are many examples in real life, such as corruption, debauchery, drugs, and so forth. A person no longer has a high fighting spirit and great enthusiasm for the challenges and difficulties of life.
In addition, we are today the further treated by means of sophisticated technological tools so that everything can be obtained easily and instantly. In other words unconsciously, the times have formed an instant mentality in us. In following Jesus, He did not provide a shortcut and the instant that brought us into the kingdom of heaven within one day. He wants us to cross the path of life and follow Him faithfully.
Let us together to face the challenges involved in following Jesus with God's grace alone, so we are allowed to enter into the kingdom of his kingdom of peace and joy that is heavenly.
Item contemplation.
Lent is not only a time of abstinence and fasting alone. In preparation for Easter, we need to renew ourselves before God and our neighbor. In this Lent we also need to ask, Who is Jesus for life and our i? The extent to which we follow in the footsteps and his will? Such questions will lead us to deepen our faith to Jesus as our Lord. Through today's reading, the one thing that would be displayed by the evangelist tells us that Jesus would suffer and die for the salvation of mankind but on the third day He will rise again. With foretold His death and resurrection, Jesus opened the curtain his mission, which is to die to live.
This is one of the conditions that must be taken by the disciples to deny themselves and deny the cross daily. Indeed, many who do not want the way of the cross, self-sacrifice or burden others and relieve the sorrow of his brother. Because in fact, we still want to enjoy your own comfort, focused on self-fulfillment and self-establishment. But if we want to obtain salvation and eternal life, we are called to dare to give themselves, perhaps in the form of attention for those who need attention or time, materials and also the prayers of our prayers for others. And one thing that we should realize is to give to our neighbor will receive a blessing from God. This is an absolute requirement to follow Jesus.
Prayer.
Yes God is benevolent, give us your people, the strength and perseverance so as not drift times misleading. Amen.
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