"What Does It Profit a Person"

Thursday After Ash Wednesday
Luke 9:22-25

Jesus tells his disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly… and be rejected… and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Then Jesus asks a question that cuts to the heart of our lives: “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit themselves?”

This Lent, Jesus invites us into a bold and honest conversation with ourselves and with God. We live in a world obsessed with “more”—more things, more success, more comfort, more recognition. But what Jesus is asking is deeper: what is truly worth holding onto? If we chase after everything except God, we risk losing the very abundant life Christ came to give us.

Taking up our cross daily doesn’t mean seeking suffering for its own sake, nor is it intended to crush us. It's meant to free us from our false selves we cling to and that enslave us—our need to control, to be admired, to win, to avoid discomfort at all costs. It leads us to surrender to and trust in God and doing God's will, choosing love over selfishness, truth over convenience, humility over pride, and compassion over indifference. It's about saying yes to the life Jesus offers, even when it’s costly, so that God's purpose for us can unfold and be fulfilled.

You are invited to reflect today about what do you need to let go in your life to follow Christ more closely? What small or large “worldly gains” are you holding onto that keep you from truly living in Christ and allowing Christ to live in and through you?

Lord Jesus,
You call me to follow you with open hands and a willing heart.
Teach me to deny what pulls me away from your love,
and to take up my cross each day with trust in you.
When I cling to comfort or fear losing myself,
remind me that true life is found in you alone.
Give me the courage this Lent to let go,
so that, in following you,
I may discover abundant life that truly lasts.
Amen.

"Lenten and Easter Resources 2026"

This reflection was prepared with the assistance of CoPilot.