Take up your cross daily and follow me.

June 23 is Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

“If any man 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 (Luke 9:23-24).”

The Gospel is from St. Luke 9:18-24. The lesson intended for us in this passage of Luke's gospel is most likely in the last few lines. A true follower of Christ if he values eternal life must be ready to carry his cross and, if necessary, must be ready to be nailed to it, as Christ was. We are Christians because we sincerely want to have the everlasting life he came on earth to give us. He went through the excruciating death by crucifixion, the most painful and the most humiliating form of execution then known. He did so in order to enable us to merit heaven. He was the Son of God. He had no sins or faults of any kind to atone for. His sufferings were all willingly undertaken for our sakes.

Read more... http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-06-23