Thursday after Ash Wednesday "What benefit is it to anyone to win the whole world and forfeit or lose his very self?’ Dt.30,15-20 Ps.1 Lk.9,22-25 “Jesus declared ’The Son of man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised on the third day.” Lent brings us into this sacred time that lasts forty days. Jesus shows us the way we are to run after him. The Way of the Cross and of the death he will have is also one of his glorification. Our path doesn’t differ from that of Jesus whom we wish to follow. Jesus announced that the prophets had talked about his death to take place in Jerusalem. ’Christ had to suffer his Passion i order to enter into glory." In fact, Jesus came to save his people, in giving up ’the glory he had with his Father before the beginning of the world.’ During this favourable time, the Word of God is something very precious for our lives. In a civilisation which provokes much suffering and death, we desire with Jesus to build up the civilisation of Love. The combat for life passes through our hearts, within our own life. We follow Jesus in prayer, turned towards the Father and towards Jerusalem..  He came into t he world moved by the Holy Spirit, the greatest of all Love. His act of offering to His Father is complete. He came to save us, he gives Himself up so that w e may have life.   “Then speaking tot hem all He said ’ If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.” In embracing his Cross Jesus does the Will of the Father. We accompany Him, He takes us on his shoulders. The way of Jesus is resumed through suffering his death and resurrection. It is translated through the reconciliation we have with ourselves so as to accompany Him in Love with Mary; It is the best way that unites us to God. Leading us to Him, through Jesus. Jesus announces to his disciples that on the third day he will rise again but this is something impossible for them to grasp. They don’t know what this means, thy will understand it later on. When we go climbing it is good there be someone in front of us who knows the way should we ever miss the way. So we walk behind Jesus who opnes up for us the way forward. We receive ourselves from God who is nothing but Tenderness and Love who wants nothing but our happiness. Not one hair falls from our head without him knowing it. Jesus comes to deliver us from evil. Walking behind Jesus means to receive Life from Him in all that happens to us on t he road. We get our life from Him, presenting all our distress to Him, he delivers us from it.     “For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will save it. What benefit is it to anyone to win the whole world and forfeit or lose his very self?” If we want to save our lives we shall lose it. On the other hand, if because of Jesus we don’t strive to avoid suffering we shall save our lives. The Word of Jesus helps us to be converted. It proposes we enter into victory of Love, what Jesus calls his Glory. This is why Jesus pays before undergoing the Cross, asking the Father to give him this" glory he had with Him befiorore the beginning of the world.’ Jesus’ life will always be under the Gaze of his heavenly father. In this way when there is great darkness He will be able to reassure us. Jesus knows how we are so likely to be scandalised by the Cross! We are the people who are walking in the darkness and the shadow of death. We have been given up to nothingness by the Liar. To deliver us from suffering, from death and a closing in on ourselves that these lies produce, it is vital that Jesus goes through this path in order to save us. He comes to give us the means to get out of it. It is when everything is going badly and we fall that Jesus is there to help us : ’Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom."   We ask for the grace to follow Jesus, the King of Love.

After Ash Wednesday 00 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday

“And Jesus said to all ’If anyone wants to be follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will lose it.’”

And so we go up to Jerusalem, the Son of man will be delivered to pagans, the high priests, scribes and will be whipped, made fun of and crucified. Saying this to his disciples Jesus announces what was said by the prophets for they had predicted that he would die in Jerusalem “Christ had to suffer.” It was absolutely impossible that the Passion would not take place, as Jesus himself declared when he said they were “slow to believe” and calling “unintelligent” those who did not know that Christ should suffer in this way to enter into His Glory. In fact, he came to save his people, giving up the glory he had “with his Father before the beginning of the world.” During this favorable time, the Word of God is precious for our life. We are living Lent in a civilization that brings about a lot of suffering and death. Our desire is to bring about a civilization of Love. This combat for life passes through our hearts, within our lives. We have to choose life, stand up as being resuscitated and to follow Jesus. In prayer, turning to the Father and towards Jerusalem, Jesus came into this world moved by the Holy Spirit, the Greatest Love. In the act of offering he makes of himself to His Father, Jesus does not know the details of what is implied in this act of offering. He came to save us, he offers himself up so we may have life and life in abundance.

“The Son of man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death , and to be raised up on the third day.”

We have here the best path which unites us to God and leads us to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. After having said that he is going to suffer, Jesus announces to his disciples hat on the third day He will rise again. This is incomprehensible for the disciples. They don’t know what this can mean. It is later they will understand. When we go climbing, it is better for us to have someone in front of us who knows the way, otherwise we are likely to take the wrong path. Thus we walk behind Jesus who paves a way for us. Jesus said : “Whoever wants to follow me must renounce himself.” He is to receive himself from God Who is nothing but Tenderness and Love and Who wants nothing but our happiness. God is Good. He loves me and watches over me. Not a hair from my head falls without him knowing it. Jesus comes to deliver us from evil. To walk behind Jesus is to receive from Him life through whatever that happens to

us along the way. If I receive from Him my life, I present before him the whole of my distress. He will deliver me.

“What benefit is it to anyone to win the whole world and forfeit or lose his very self?”

Jesus proposes that we enter into his glory. What he calls his glory is his death on the Cross. This is why before Jesus went to death, praying, He asked the Father to give him this “glory that he had known before the foundation of the world.” Jesus’ life will pass by with Him never taking his gaze away from the Father. When the darkness takes its hold ,he can reassure his disciples : “The Son of Man must suffer a great deal, be rejected by the elders, the high priests and the scribes, and be killed.” Jesus knows how likely we are to be scandalized! He comes to us. We are he people who walks in darkness and the shadow of death. Not that we wanted to, but we have been delivered to nothingness because of the liar who transformed the world into hostility. We are marked by this deceitful way of the devil. It is necessary that Jesus passes by this way of death to deliver us from suffering and death and from being closed in upon ourselves by deceit. He comes

and gives us the means to be free. It is when everything is going badly that we fall down and cannot go any further, that Jesus comes to our aid : “Follow me.” “I can’t save myself all alone.” “Jesus, remember me in your Kingdom.”