Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

Can you imagine that? Even our very bodies are designed to give God worship! We may sometimes think of our bodies as a hindrance or even an instrument of sin, but Paul is saying no. Our bodies are so valuable to God, in fact, that he sent his Son as a completely embodied human being to save us. And his salvation includes the resurrection and glorification of our bodies. Surely God doesn’t see them as enemies!

We may think that we need to understand God and his plans before we can effectively follow Christ, but the opposite is just as true. Jesus told his disciples, “Follow me.” And their obedience to his call—physically standing up and walking after him—resulted in their becoming the foundation for the church. And as they followed, they had to experience and do the things Jesus did before they could fully understand who he was.

So it is with us. As we take the practical steps of trying to be Christ to others, our minds will be transformed. As we take these steps, we will find situations in which we will have to assess what is going on in our minds. In doing that, we can rid ourselves of negative thoughts and hold on to the positive ones, slowly discerning what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. So it happens that the more we do what Christ did, the more we will understand. And in this way, everything we do can become a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was fond of saying, “Keep giving Jesus to your people, not by words but by your example, by being in love with Jesus, by radiating his holiness and spreading his fragrance of love everywhere you go. You belong to him.” We do belong to him, so let’s give him our bodies.

“Holy Spirit, take my hands, take my mind, take my heart so that I can become the person you designed me to be—a living sacrifice in praise of the Lord.”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. In the first reading, Jeremiah is so in tune with the Lord that he cannot hold back from speaking of him to others. Could that be said of your faith? What are the obstacles that keep you from talking to someone about your faith in Christ? Pray for one another to overcome them and share the results at your next men’s group meeting.
   
    
2. The responsorial psalm talks of the soul “thirsting” for God. Do you feel your soul is thirsty for the Lord? Why or why not? What can you do this week to water your soul?
   
    
3. The letter to the Romans asks us not to be conformed to the world. What has the biggest influence on your mind: television, newspapers, and what others think, or Scripture? What specifically can you do to reduce the influence of the first three and increase the influence of Scriptures?
   
    
4. In the Gospel, Jesus had to rebuke Peter because Peter wanted to tell Christ what he needed to do. How can you increase your receptivity to Christ’s leading, rather than telling him what he needs to do for you?
   
    
5. Jesus spoke of the need to deny ourselves and take up the cross? What cross is the Lord asking you to bear? How can the men in your group help you in bearing this cross?
   
    
6. The meditation speaks of making our bodies acceptable to the Lord? What does that mean specifically for you? What steps can you take to make this a greater reality in your life?

Come Holy Spirit!  ~  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and en kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you taught the hearts of your faithful by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit. In that same spirit give us your right judgment and the joy of your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen