For priests and deacons…
our breviaries are dear to our hearts…
because we pray with them every day.
And different people keep all kinds of things in their breviaries…
pictures of loved ones
holy cards of special occasions
reminder notes and papers we don’t want to lose.
I keep a scrap of paper with scripture verses or quotes I want to remember.
One of these is a quote about the meaning of love.
I don’t know anything about the man who said it…
but it is a powerful insight…
and I want to share it with you.
"Love asks no questions.
Its natural state is one of extension and expansion,
Not comparison and measurement."
In the Gospel today, we encounter head-on the essence of what Jesus is all about…
and what we are called to be as Christians.
God is our heavenly Father,
who freely gives even His only Son out of love for the world.
Jesus is the obedient Son,
who freely sacrifices His life on the Cross for the salvation of the world.
We, who are created in the image of God, and who profess the name Christian,
are called to accept our own crosses,
to lay down our own lives,
and to deny ourselves for the sake of Christ, whom we serve.
In the First Reading today, we hear of the words of Isaiah,
which look forward to the sufferings of Christ,
and also describe the trials endured by faithful prophets
and servants of the Lord:
the beatings, the buffets, and the spitting.
And Isaiah says, "I did not turn back;" "My face I did not hide."
Jesus endured ridicule, scourging, the crown of thorns, and the horror of the Cross,
without complaint.
So many times, fidelity to Jesus and to our Catholic faith,
means laying down our lives.
For us in the modern world it does not mean actual crucifixion or physical death.
The buffets and scourging come in different forms in every age…
but they are still there.
Similarly, the need for self-denial
on the part of each one of us who belongs to Christ
remains essential to our Catholic Christian way of life.
Denying ourselves…in today’s world…
means being willing to be unpopular…
willing to set aside our own need for fame, glory, and success…
willing to sacrifice our own good name,
and our own needs and desires,
for the sake of Christ and the Gospel.
In our lives and relationships…
at home, in school, and at work…
denying ourselves means that we will not always be number one.
Jesus calls us to take ourselves out of the picture…
for the good of those we are called to love and serve.
Being parents, teachers, bosses…
means first of all being servants.
Husbands and wives…
parents and children…
teachers and students…
clergy and parishioners…
we are all called…each day…to ask what is best…not for us…
but for the ones whom God has placed in our lives…
and ask how we can sacrifice of ourselves for them.
When the Father sent Jesus to become man,
to live among us,
and to go to His death for us…
Jesus did not ask "Why?" or "Do I really have to?"
His love did not ask questions…He did not compare or measure.
Rather, He expanded Himself in love…
embraced the whole world…
and drew all people to Himself on the Cross.
Our world suffers today
because far too many people have never learned to deny themselves…
because too many people do not love without comparing, measuring,
and asking questions.
We see it in all those in foreign nations…and in our own communities…
who turn to violence instead of love to solve their problems.
We see it in all those who look at human life and human sexuality
as things to be manipulated at the service of their own needs or fears…
rather than beautiful gifts to be cherished.
There is no doubt that this teaching of Jesus is hard.
Even Peter questioned Jesus
because he did not understand the truth of Jesus’ message:
that those who wish to follow Jesus
must deny themselves and accept their crosses.
Life is not without sorrow and suffering…
difficult situations…and difficult relationships.
We are called to bear these crosses in love for Jesus Christ,
who bore His Cross for the sake of our salvation.
Jesus promises that the one who denies himself in love for God and others…
who stands up for the Gospel even when it seems too difficult to do…
and who bears life’s crosses patiently…
will share the joy and glory of eternal life.
As we approach with humble fear
to receive the Body of our Crucified and Risen Lord…
may we commit ourselves ever more fully to laying down our lives
and bearing our crosses…
for the sake of Jesus and for those we love.
In so doing…
we will find ourselves in the midst of trials,
and we will also find ourselves in the midst of good company…
both the many holy men and women who now serve the Church…
and…we pray…one day…
among those whose service has brought them everlasting reward.
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