Or
Second Reading
From the Sermons of St. Augustine
Sermon 96:1,4,9; NBA 30/2, 177-187
Concerning the universal call to holiness
‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’ (Matthew 16:24) The Lord’s command that if anyone wishes to follow him he must deny himself seems hard and difficult. But after all it is not hard and difficult, seeing that it is the command of him who himself aids in the carrying out of what he commands.
For what is said to him in the psalm is true, ‘Because of your command I have followed the hard road.’ True, too, are his own words, ‘My yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ In a word, whatsoever in the precept is hard is made easy by love.
What is the meaning of: ‘Let him take up his cross’? It means, let him bear whatever is vexatious; on that understanding, let him follow me. For when he begins to follow me in my character and my teaching, hen will have many to contradict him, many to forbid him, many to dissuade him – and that takes place actually among those who are companions of Christ. The people who wished to deter the blind man from calling out were at that time walking with Christ. Whether therefore it is a matter of threats or flatteries or any kinds of prohibitions, if you wish to follow, turn to the cross, endure, bear up, and refuse to surrender.
And so, in this world, which is holy, good, reconciled , saved – or rather, in the process of being saved but at present saved by hope – ‘for in this hope we were saved’ – in this world, that is the Church which follows Christ in her totality, he has said to all men at once, ‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself’
This is not the case where virgins ought to hear the exhortation but married women not, where widows ought to hear and young wives not, where monks ought to hear and married men not, or clerics ought to hear but not the laity, but rather let the Universal Church, the universal body, all her members divided and distributed in their several offices, let them follow Christ.
Let her follow in her unique unity let her follow as the dove, let her follow as the bride, let her follow, ransomed and endowed by the blood of her spouse. There the innocent of virgins has its place, there the chastity of widows has its place, there the purity of marriage has its place. Let all those members which have a there own place there, each in their natural kind, each in their own place, each in their own way, follow Christ; let them deny themselves, that is, let them not be presumptuous; let them take up their cross, that is, endure in the world for Christ, whatever the world has brought on them. Let them love him who alone does not deceive, who alone is not cheated who alone does not cheat.
But because he does not give immediately, faith is shaken. Endure, preserve, bear, put up with delay and then you have borne the cross.
Responsory
Cf. Job 31:18a; Eph 3:18; Ps 30:20
R. O God, your love has been with me from my earliest years and it has grown with me. * I cannot measure its breadth and depth.
V. How great is the kindness I Lord which you have reserved for those who love you. * I cannot measure its breadth and depth.
Prayer
Father, in your infinite tenderness, you united strength of spirit and purity of innocence in the young girl Laura Vicuna; through her intercession give us courage to overcome the trials of life and to show the world the happiness of the pure of heart. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
