THEME:
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Call to Discipleship
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DAY TWO
Luke 9:23
“Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Meditation
“We have to deny ourselves” this is an invitation to say “No” to our old nature and say “Yes” to God. This also expressed Peter’s failure. Peter who just confessed Jesus as the Messiah refuses to reject the belief system of the Jews that portrays the Messiah as a king and a warrior who will deliver them from the hands of the Romans. So, Peter refuses to accept that Jesus is the Messiah who will suffer much hardship. This belief system is intrinsic in Peter. Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Beloved, anyone who confesses Jesus as the Messiah must not think as men think otherwise you will miss your way. 2Cor.5:17 says “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” In Rom12:2 we are told to adapt ourselves no longer to the patterns of this world. We must learn to resist worldly thoughts to be able to enter into God’s mission and plan. If we continue to judge things from worldly perspective denying ourselves will become more difficult. Disciples of this generation must learn the ways of detachment and denial.
PRAYERS
1 Hail Mary 21 times and Thank you Jesus 21 times.
2 Bible Study: Luke 9:57-62
3 Lessons:
We can deny ourselves by dying to the delights and pleasures of this life.
We can learn to ignore ourselves.
4 Silence (5 to 10 minutes) (write down your own lessons; learn to hear from God and write down whatever God says to you)
5 The Litany to the Precious Blood of Jesus (as given on the first day)
6 Intercessory Prayers:
Jesus, tender and loving Lamb of God, Utmost Sacrifice of all sacrifices, Your glory is reverberated in the highest. Being preoccupied with my well-being,
You chose to self-sacrifice Yourself, Setting aside all Your personal glories. I thank You Lord Jesus for Your act of love! Your action has drawn me closer to You. Teach me to model in smaller things, to sacrifice in order to help others, guiding my soul to endure abstinence. Lamb of God, I thank you endlessly!
O Jesus, Who didst choose a life of poverty and obscurity, grant me that grace to keep my heart detached from the transitory things of the world. Be Thou henceforth my only treasure, for Thou art infinitely more precious than all other possessions
- Memory verse: Luke9:24
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
