He Gives Us Everything We Need
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Mark 8: 27 - 35Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Whenever we think about the suffering that could be in our future, we grow fearful and sad. Though it might be prudent to think ahead for planning purposes, or to consider the probable results of our actions, it is usually imprudent to think much about future sufferings. One reason is that by doing so, we needlessly suffer now by thinking about possible future sufferings that will happen later…or that might not ever happen! How ridiculous it is to cause ourselves suffering that is unnecessary and unhelpful! But an even more important reason not to get too worked up about future pain is that in so doing, we don’t consider that God’s grace will be with us.
There is a phrase which says, “God will give us grace (meaning His help and His presence) for the moment.” God is here with us in the present moment giving us everything we need. And He will be there in every future moment giving us everything we need. But He does not ask us to take on the future or its sufferings right now... so He’s also not giving us His grace to face those future sufferings right now. He’s only giving us grace right here in the present moment. If we go need to go through some future suffering, then at that point God will be there with us giving us all the abundant help we need. In the Gospel today, Jesus says: “whoever wishes to come after me,” must “follow me.” He is telling us to follow Him wherever He is… not to try to run ahead.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above.(Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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