Gospel (Lk 9,22-25) - At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: "The Son of man must suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, be killed and be resurrected on the third day". Then, to everyone, he said: «If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross every day and follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what advantage has it to a man who gains the whole world, but loses or ruins himself?

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

The passage from the Gospel of Luke puts us on the path of this Lenten season which calls us to reflect on the responsibility that each of us has when faced with the choice that the Gospel asks us to make for our lives: «Whoever wants to save his life, will lose, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." We are all pushed to think about ourselves and our well-being. To be guided by that evil instinct rooted in our heart that pushes us to love only ourselves and therefore to be disinterested in others, and often even to be hostile and violent, especially if we feel that others are possible rivals or, worse, enemies. By following this logic, Jesus warns, we lose everything. Love only for oneself leads inexorably to losing peace and even life. On the contrary, those who spend their life, their time, their energy, their wealth, to build a more just world, earn before God. And they earn for themselves and for others. And Jesus continues by warning: "What advantage has a man who gains the whole world, but loses or ruins himself?". The thirst for profit has become a continuous fever that leads to ruin. How many lives are sacrificed on the altar of profit! How many families, how many friendships, how many bonds are burned to give primacy to individual interests! Jesus teaches another way. And he does it both in words and with concrete example. He heads towards Jerusalem to give his life for us, to save us from evil, even if this choice involves suffering and even death. But “on the third day” Jesus will rise again. And the new reign of love will begin. Jesus is not a Messiah who acts with the power and strength that men would like. His strength is that of love that knows no limits. A love that leads him to give his life for the redemption of all. Addressed to all those who follow him, Jesus explains the needs of following the Gospel: moving away from one's own selfishness, giving up love only for oneself, abandoning the usual egocentric habits and taking on the same lifestyle as Jesus himself, precisely, live for the Gospel and for the poor. It is the meaning of the exhortation addressed to everyone: to deny oneself and take up one's cross. This path is that of true profit. Anyone who wants to preserve their life, that is, their habits, their egocentric traditions, will lose their life. On the contrary, those who are passionate about the Gospel and the poor will find their lives enriched and saved.