Monday

Monday of Holy Week

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 9:23

Monday Prayer

When I survey the wondrous cross, O Lord, I am captivated by the great price you willingly paid for me. This great love demands my soul, my life, my all.  I admit that I am not always willing to take up my cross daily and follow you.  In my times of self-preservation give me a spirit of self-sacrifice.  Teach me to take up the crosses of faith, recklessly abandoning my old self, and wholeheartedly follow you.  Amen.

Monday Meditation

Today, O Lord, I felt intense fear.  My whole being seemed to be invaded by fear.  No peace, no rest – just plain fear: fear of mental breakdown, fear of living the wrong life, fear of rejection and condemnation, and fear of you… I feel so powerless to overcome this fear.  Maybe it is your way of asking me to experience some solidarity with the fearful people all over the world: those who are hungry and cold in this harsh winter, those who are threatened by unexpected guerrilla attacks, and those who are hidden in prisons, mental institutions, and hospitals.  O Lord, this world is full of fear.

-          Henri Nouwen