True Glory

How often have I eagerly agreed to do something only to want to back off when I get the details and begin to realize the demands. Why do I say yes so easily? Is it for the glory?

This Sunday’s Gospel begins with the apostles seeking glory. They want a ticker-tape parade; Jesus promises suffering and death as the road to true glory. How different Jesus’ glory is! For Jesus, true glory demands dying to self. Yet this true glory is stronger and more full of life than human glory.

What does this true glory look like for us?  Daily we are called to die to self- to forgive when we have been hurt, to reach out to others in need even when it draws us out of our comfort zone, to bite our tongue and  hold back a cutting remark, to speak the truth even when we know it will not be welcomed. In these acts we experience new life-the strengthening of our relationships with Jesus and one another; the peace we feel when we don’t give in to hurting another, the sense of integrity when speaking the truth.

These are the demands that identity with Christ entails. Are we ready to follow?