What Does Jesus Mean by “Deny Yourself”? | Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology · Aug 28, 2026 · 6m

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Matthew 16 and Christ’s words: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Jesus presents us with a paradox: we find our lives precisely by giving them up. But the Christian does not lose his life only to be left with nothing. We let go of our attempts at self-justification, self-validation, and self-salvation in order to receive our true identity in Christ.

Jesus holds nothing back from us. His life is ours, and everything He accomplished through His Incarnation, death, and Resurrection is for our salvation.

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