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Gospel Reading - Taking up the cross

¹⁸Once when Jesus^a was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ ¹⁹They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ ²⁰He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah^b of God.’

²¹He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, ²²saying, ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’

²³Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.