GOSPEL READING: LUKE 9:22-25
Jesus speaks of suffering, rejection, being killed, and taking up the cross. All these seem to make one feel unhappy about being the disciple. At the end, all these are the signs or steps to follow Jesus. Suffering is personal though causes may be from outside. Rejection is from others and they are noticeable. Death is the end in human terms.
But the world of today speaks of alleviating suffering. It speaks of including everyone and speaks of equality, fraternity and solidarity. Every effort is made to postpone death because no one can escape it. This way of living a life (save ones life) is finally a waste. The life that Jesus speaks of is a life with a purpose, a life with God, a life for God and that is the real gain of oneself.
