text: These reflections from Mary on the Sunday's readings often have for me a very diluted Diet Coke effect. She picks any point that even very distantly (or not at all) hints at a "Power to the people, right on" element, and then the agenda talk.
  
  The Gospel passage is far more direct, more beautiful and pastorally helpful than what Mary has given us.
  
  Our Lord foretells for a reason: to fortify the apostles when these events unfold. They will begin connecting the dots, throwing more trust into everything Jesus has done or has said to them.
  Then He says: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
  
  Here is a program of life.
  
  He says in a sense 'Your life must become hard/giving/sacrificial/loving like My life; You must desire to imitate Me'. Later He says "Do this in memory of Me", more than "do the meal again", but live Calvary too for others.