Friday 21 February 2025 - 6th week of Ordinary Time

Today is Friday the 21st of February in the 6th week of Ordinary Time.    Salt of the Sound sing, ‘Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross’.     In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last soul shall find  Rest beyond the river  Jesus, keep me near the cross  There a precious fountain  Free to all, a healing stream  Flows from Calvary's mountain  In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last soul shall find  Rest beyond the river  Near the cross, O Lamb of God  Bring its scenes before me  Help me walk from day to day  With its shadow o'er me  In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last soul shall find  Rest beyond the river  Near the cross I'll watch and wait  Hoping, trusting ever  Till I reach the golden strand  Just beyond the river  In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last my soul shall find  Rest beyond the river Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 8:34-9:1  He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’      By this time, Jesus had quite a large crowd of followers, admirers, people who liked the way he talked, who were encouraged by his Good News.  But then he comes out with this stuff about ‘losing your life’.  And he talks about the ‘cross’ - the Roman form of execution.  How do you think this change in tone might have sounded to his followers?    Suppose you’d been part of that crowd…. how would you have reacted?…. what would you have said to the person next to you?   Can you imagine how it would have felt?    What comes to mind when you hear those words of Jesus again?  What might have been the reaction in the crowd?  Think for a moment what it might have been like … a shocked silence maybe, then a growing murmur ... this teaching would have been too much for some.    Is there something that is preventing you from hearing what Jesus wants to say to you?…. Something you need to lose, to let go of? Let the Spirit of God show you what you need to let go of … and let it go.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.