Overview:

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

A Reflection for Thursday after Ash Wednesday

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)

Find today’s readings here.

Some of us are familiar with the saying, “No pain, no gain.” An old friend of mine revised it to: “No pain…no pain!” often adding, “Am I right?” 

The avoidance of pain helps animals survive. I jerk my hand back from a hot stove, take aspirin to treat a headache, and, whenever possible, I avoid people with toxic personalities. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. 

But there are moments when we cannot or should not avoid pain and suffering. It could be as simple as doing more exercise or giving up sweets during Lent. But it could also mean having unpleasant conversations or confronting unjust circumstances in our personal life or in our communities. And it likely means owning up to and repenting for our mistakes. 

In part, I think that’s the kind of suffering Jesus is describing in today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke. The passage follows immediately after Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you say that I am,” and Peter responds, “The Messiah of God” (Lk 9:20). (We may be more familiar Matthew’s account, in which Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”) 

Jesus tells his disciples not to reveal his identity to anyone and then says, “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” (Lk 9:22).

Jesus clarifies his identity. He affirms to his disciples that he is the Messiah but at the same time disabuses them of any false notion that he came to rule with earthly power and lead a revolution against the Roman occupation. Instead, Jesus explains that he will suffer, die and rise again. This is the path he sets out for his followers: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).

During this Lenten season, may God in a special way grant us the grace to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus.

J.D. Long García is a senior editor at America.