SEPT 17: CONFESSION – 8:30 AM, DIVINE LITURGY – 09:00 AM (LIVE-STREAMED), DIVINE LITURGY – 11:00 AM.
PROPERS: 09-17-23_Sunday_DL
Streaming via Facebook Live. https://www.facebook.com/saintscyrilandmethodius/
Parishes live-streaming in the Diocese can be found here: https://www.eparchyofpassaic.com/directory
GOD WITH US ONLINE CATECHETICAL RESOURCES FOR THE SUNDAY AFTER THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS (from 9/15/2022): https://godwithusonline.org/reflections/the-sunday-after-the-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-ruthenian/
Today’s Gospel, Mark 8: 34 – 9: 1, “The Way of the Cross,” proposes we Take up the Cross and Follow Him. The important features of Christ’s followers involve: 1. denying ourselves, 2. taking up our cross, and 3. following Christ. In this Gospel, Jesus tells us how to follow Him. He said that we should not just do what we want to do. He said we should do what He wants us to do. Sometimes that will be hard, just like it was hard for Jesus to die on the cross for us. But if we do what God wants, we will be saved. Jesus said that nothing on Earth is better than our soul. He said we will lose our soul if we just do what we want while we’re alive. He said we should not be embarrassed to follow Him. He also said we should not be embarrassed of His words. We can be happy when we follow Jesus. The reading is as follows:
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
