RENOUNCE YOURSELF

PRAYER MOMENT   Note. I will be away from today for four weeks and am not sure if I will have internet where I am going.                             

Friday 8 August 2014,  St Dominic

RENOUNCE YOURSELF

Pause. Be still in God’s presence.

Reading: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him or her renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24-28)

Reflection. Paul describes love in 1 Cor 13 as patience and in Gal 5 he adds self-control. Tough neighbourhoods produce tough people and tough language. And the flow of words between people who are struggling to survive can be quite harsh and  hurtful. A spiral of violent words can lead to a spiral of physical violence and a person can die for the sake of five dollars quarrelled over. Self-control is not easy. It is that ability to be in charge of my emotions and my words so that I do not speak in a way that makes matters worse. We often hear the words of Jesus about carrying our cross but – if it is to be anything more than a religious slogan quickly forgotten – we need to let it sink into our consciousness and live his words each day in small encounters as well as big.  

      

Prayer. Lord Jesus, teach us self-control in all our dealings with one another so that what we do or say may build up rather than pull down other people.  Amen

David Harold-Barry SJ