Hi everyone. Welcome back to our podcast where we take a look at the gospel reading from today's Mass,

and we're all about doing exegesis here. So that's the level of Bible analysis where we really get

into the text itself, the literal sense of the text, what was the gospel author trying to

communicate to his original audience. That's the level we want to focus on here, rather than going

into systematic theology or how it applies today. In this podcast we want to focus on the ground

level stuff.

What does it mean on the literal sense, which is where we should always start, according to

the teaching of the Catholic Church.

So today we're looking at Mark chapter 8, verse 34 through to chapter 9 verse 1.

Jesus called the people and his disciples to him and said,

if anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who loses his life for my sake

and for the sake of the gospel will save it. What gain then is it for a man to win the whole world

and ruin his life? And indeed what can a man offer in exchange for his life?

For if anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words,

the son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels.

And he said to them, I tell you solemnly, there are some standing here who will not taste

death before they see the kingdom of God come with power. So once again a quite well-known passage here.

Jesus has some quite strong words to use.

So let's think about the context, what's just happened.

So Jesus has just announced to the apostles that he's going to die.

And remember Peter said, no, Lord, you won't die.

And he rebuked him for it.

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