Deny yourself every day during Lent 2023.

Deny yourself. Take up your cross daily and follow Christ this Lent. 

 

"Jesus said to his disciples: 

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

"Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” (Luke 9: 22 - 25). 

 

Thursday 23rd February 2023, Thursday after Ash Wednesday in the Season of Lent. Today is the feast of St Polycarp, an Apostolic Father. (circa 69 - 155). Bishop of Smyrna in Turkey. Martyr. St Polycarp was instructed in the faith by St John the Apostle. He, Polycarp instructed St Irenaeus who became a Bishop and an early Church Father in France.

St Polycarp heard and believed the word of Christ:

"Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." 

He who cannot pick up his cross daily and follow Jesus will not be able to pick it up if a persecution breaks out suddenly. 

This holy Season of Lent gives us a fresh opportunity to learn to pick up our cross every day to follow Jesus. If you welcome this message, then commit to renewing:

1. Daily Prayer. 

2. Daily Bible Reading. 

3. Couple of weekday Masses every week. 

4. Monthly Confession. 

5. Daily Examen. 

6. Daily Spiritual Reading. 

7. Weekly involment in the ministry of your choice. 

Do this and you will have the best Lent of your life. 

"My Heart thirsts for the love of the saints. To those who come to Me, I will give love and holiness. And in this shall My Father be glorified.  And this shall come to pass through the intimate action of My Spirit. Where I am present in the Sacrament of My love, there also is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. It is by the Holy Spirit that My Eucharistic presence is My glorious presence to the Father in heaven, and it is by the Holy Spirit that My Eucharistic presence touches the souls who adore Me to unite them to Me, and to bear them up even before My Father’s face."  (IN SINU JESU, Monday, October 29, 2007).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com