He called the people and his disciples to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. What gain, then, is it for anyone to win the whole world and forfeit his life? And indeed what can anyone offer in exchange for his life? For if anyone in this sinful and adulterous generation is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘In truth I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.’
The Saint of the day: The Seven Founders of the Servites
Sejjaħ lejh in-nies flimkien mad-dixxipli tiegħu u qalilhom: “Jekk xi ħadd irid jiġi warajja, għandu jiċħad lilu nnifsu, jerfa’ salibu, u jimxi warajja. Għax min irid isalva ħajtu, jitlifha; imma min jitlef ħajtu għall-imħabba tiegħi u ta’ l-Evanġelju, isalvaha. Għax x’jiswielu l-bniedem jekk jikseb id-dinja kollha u mbagħad jitlef ħajtu? Xi prezz jista’ jagħti l-bniedem biex isalva ħajtu? Għax jekk xi ħadd, minn dan in-nisel żieni u midneb ta’ llum, għad jistħi minni u minn kliemi, Bin il-bniedem ukoll għad jistħi minnu meta jiġi fil-glorja ta’ Missieru flimkien ma’ l-anġli mqaddsa.” Qalilhom ukoll: “Tassew ngħidilkom, li hawn xi wħud minnkom li qegħdin hawn, li żgur ma jġarrbux il-mewt qabel ma jaraw il-wasla tas-Saltna ta’ Alla, mogħnija bil-qawwa.”
Il-Qaddis tal-jum: Is-Seba’ Fundaturi tas-Serviti