DAILY HOMILIES #St. Dominic

If we desire to hear from the Holy Spirit, we must devote time to prayer and fasting. Without prayer, we are powerless against our enemies. When we fast, we involve our whole body in prayer. Fasting deepens our hunger and thirst for God. Fasting helps us control the desires of the flesh. If you want to hear from the Holy Spirit, there should be no contradiction between what you externally profess and what you do.

Today’s Gospel passage continues Jesus’ response to Peter when he tried to discourage Him from the Way of the Cross (the road of suffering, humiliation and death). Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” What does this mean? St. John Chrysostom said, “When you deny a person, for instance, say, a brother or a close friend, it means you would fail to defend that person or try to rescue him when you see him beaten, kicked, slapped and tortured. And so, when you deny yourself, you do not resist whatever sufferings, beatings, or humiliation come your way due to your Christian Faith.”