"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:4

I feel like it is easy to forget sometimes that we are not only baptized into Christ's glorious Resurrection, but also into His death. This is no easy thing. In order to reach the "newness of life," we really have to die to ourselves and to the ways of this world. I have been doing some thinking lately about the end of the semester and where I have come this past school year. It made me think back to last year, when I was in quite a different place, as a senior in high school. I was looking at the face of the unknown, college. I knew I was going to have to pass on from the stage of life that I had grown comfortable with, high school. By this point, high school was what I knew and was comfortable with. But in order for the next stage of my life to begin, I had to say goodbye to this stage. And that was painful, but I never would have experienced all the things that I have experienced this freshman year and I never would have met the friends and people who have become a huge part of my life this year if I had not let go. I had to let go in order to receive the next blessing Christ was giving me. In the same way, we have to let go of our life of sin and attachment to the world in order to receive the life of Christ. Although we may have already undergone a conversion where we initially decide to follow Christ, I would argue that this detachment and death to self is something that we have to do every single day of our life, in the small everyday choices. Although living a life for Christ is difficult now, we will one day be raised to eternal life with God in heaven. Persevere! 

I hope you have a wonderful week! You are in my prayers. May God bless you abundantly. :) 

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'" - Matthew 16:24

I think this is a really great verse to reflect upon during holy week, when we are really attempting to enter into the passion, death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This verse says that we must take up our cross if we wish to follow Him. It should be apparent this week more than any other week, that the cross isn't easy. Christ's cross involved Him completely emptying Himself for us. On Calvary's pain, there was real pain and sacrifice and even though it was the most incredible act of love ever to be done, it looked to the observer like a failure. In the same way, we must empty ourselves for Christ. Granted, this does not mean we will literally be crucified in a physical sense, but this does mean that we might be crucified in another sense, crucified to ourselves. And sometimes, this will make us look like a failure in the eyes of the world. But He has already conquered the world. He invites us to respond to His love with love. What sins or failures in your life are you going to allow to be conquered at Calvary this week? 

Have a blessed Holy Week! :)