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(2Kgs.4:8-11,14-16a;\xa0\xa0 Ps.89:2-3,16-19;\xa0\xa0 Rom.6:3-4,8-11;\xa0\xa0 Mt.10:37-42)\xa0 \u201cWhoever loses his life for my sake will find it.\u201d\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0The Lord encourages us today to \u201ctake up [our] cross and follow [Him],\u201d to place Him first in our lives to find the reward He holds. And in our second reading Paul says the same, reminding us that \u201cwe were indeed buried with Christ through baptism into death,\u201d that we have \u201cdied with Christ\u2026 to sin once and for all\u201d \u2013 this is our cross \u2013 and that laying down our lives before the Lord we now find ourselves \u201cliving for God in Christ Jesus\u201d; we now find ourselves \u201craised from the dead by the glory of the Father [that] we too might live in newness of life\u201d with Him who is Life itself. \xa0 \xa0 \xa0And Jesus sends us forth as His disciples, saying, \u201cWhoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.\u201d Thus, by our lives we call others to die with Christ that they too might live with Him in eternity, that they too might be blessed as we. Others should see in us the Lord and be prompted to give of themselves as we do, as He does \u2013 that in Him all might rejoice. \xa0 \xa0 \xa0In our first reading we find a woman who has proven the truth of Christ\u2019s statement, \u201cWhoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet\u2019s reward.\u201d Quite literally does she give her \u201ccup of cold water\u201d to the great prophet Elisha, feeding him \u201cwhenever he passed by\u201d and even making a place for him to stay in her home. She has recognized \u201cthat he is a holy man of God\u201d and is drawn to him, desiring to have his godliness near her life. And by sharing her food and her home, she is laying down her life; by serving this \u201crighteous man\u201d she is serving God, and so she will know the blessing of God. \xa0 \xa0 \xa0\u201cThis time next year you will be fondling a baby son,\u201d is the holy man\u2019s promise to the woman; and no greater blessing could she hope for. Here is life to her. Here is that \u201cnewness of life\u201d of which Jesus speaks so well exemplified in our sight. And we should know that the same will be our own. \u201cIn the light of [His] countenance\u201d we shall \u201cknow the joyful shout.\u201d \u201cAt [His] name [we] rejoice all the day.\u201d \u201cThe praises of the Lord [we] will sing forever,\u201d for His Son has been born in our midst; our life has come to us, has suffered and died, and now sits with the Father on high. And to Him do we come with all we are. Before Him do we lay down our lives\u2026 and all we give freely He blesses. Written, read, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Coat of Warmth" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, if we lose our lives for your sake, we shall never die.\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0YHWH, let us receive your Son into our homes, and all those He sends; thus we shall be receiving you and have your Word alive in us. Thus we shall come to newness of life in your eternal kingdom. \xa0 \xa0 \xa0And how do we receive your Son, O LORD, but by laying down of our lives and taking up the Cross He bears? Only by giving what little we have to Him for your sake will we find ourselves so blessed as to rejoice forever in your presence. \xa0 \xa0 \xa0We are blessed insofar as your Son dwells with us. We are blessed insofar as we die with Him. For having died with the Christ, we believe we shall also live with Him, and what should we desire but this eternal life? O let us live for you alone, dearest LORD and God! \xa0 \xa0 \xa0This day, dear God, let us give all we own to those who come in your Name; let us put all our lives at the service of your kingdom. Leaving this world behind, we shall be exalted in Heaven.