The Gospel for Friday of the 18th week in ordinary time is taken from Matthew 16:24, 28 verse Jesus said to his disciples, 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 will will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of man will come with his angels in His Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct.

Amen. I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Nothing seems clear in the teaching of Jesus that we have to become people that are other centered, not self centered. It’s so easy for us without even realizing it that we focus everything on what’s happening to me and how am I feeling and what is fair and what is unfair. And all Jesus is saying is look, let go of that, focus on self and focus on me. Focus on me and what I’ve done, what I’m doing, the example I have and you’ll find life.

Please take a few moments to reflect upon the thoughts that I’ve offered in these reflections and then I will offer a closing prayer. Satan Foreign Closing Prayer Father, your gift to us is your transforming grace. And one of the signs that it works within us is that we see ourselves focus less and less on our wants, our needs and focused on the things that people need around us. Free us from a prison of self centeredness and we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.