Every day

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. - Luke 9:23

Jesus is teaching the disciples about the demands of folowing him. In the verses which follow this one, Jesus says, "but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." This gives a hint to the disciples of what to expect for their devotion to Christ. Many of them were martyred.

I have read this verse over and over, but I have never paid much attention to the word "daily." It is almost like my mind just sort of ran right over it, not to mention that in the gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, the word "daily" is not mentioned. This simple word adds a new dimension to the thought Jesus was putting forward.

We must daily make the commitment to deny ourselves and follow Christ, not merely make a one time profession of faith. The world around us poses unique challenges to us every day. These challenges can come in the form of temptation to sin, or they may be opportunities which will arise which could lead us to perform acts of mercy and charity for those who are in need. Either way, we must commit to serve Christ in our denial of ourselves through rejection of temptation and through service to others. As St. Luke quotes Christ, we must do this daily.

It is only appropriate that this day we remember St. Katharine Drexel. St. Katharine was an heiress, born in Philadelphia, who gave up her fortune to serve African Americans and Native Americans through the foundation of schools, including Xavier University in New Orleans. Through her example, we see one who daily denied herself for the benefit of others. Mother Drexel, pray for us.

Happy Birthday, Padre.