Jesus said, “If any man would come after Me, let Him deny Himself and take up His cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And He said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
Mark 8: 34-38; 9:1 (Gospel from the Sunday After the Holy Cross)
In the first sentence of today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells His us that if we wish to follow after Him, there are three things we must to—deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow. Many people interpret the idea…
