โYou will never be happy if your happiness depends on getting solely what you want. ย Change the focus. ย Get a new center. ย Will what God wills, and your joy no man shall take from you.โ ย
Venerable Fulton Sheen
Today we rejoice in the birth of Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother. Her life was a gift prepared by God to bring forth the Savior of the world.
The Church teaches that in celebrating Maryโs birth, we honor the dawn of salvation, for through her โyesโ Christ entered the world.
May we follow her example of humility and trust, and may her intercession lead us ever closer to her Son, Jesus.
๐ Blessed Mother, pray for us.
โWhoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.โ โ Matthew 16:24
In todayโs Gospel, Jesus reveals that the path to glory passes through the cross. Peter struggles to accept this, but Christ reminds him, and us, that Godโs ways are often different from our own.
Following Jesus means trusting Him even when the road is difficult. It is in surrender, sacrifice, and faithful discipleship that we discover the abundant life He promises.
๐ Lord, give us the courage to take up our cross each day, trust in Your plan, and follow You with faithful hearts wherever You lead.
"Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things." - St. Augustine