Who does not carry his cross ... Lk 14:25-33
The whole message of the today’s Gospel passage is summarized in the last sentence: In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce to all his possessions cannot be my disciple. And this last sentence explains the shocking words from the first lines ... because probably everyone felt at least uncomfortable hearing: If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Wait ... you might think ... Jesus who teaches about love says here that the condition for being a disciple is hating your loved ones? But in the context of the last sentence, it all looks a bit different. Because it is not about hating but to prioritize your love. If you love Jesus, you are to put Him first. Yes, you should love your neighbors, love your loved ones, love yourself. But He - our Savior and Lord is to be the first. If you put your family above Him then you will be a good son, husband, father and praise you for that but you will not be a disciple of Christ ...
And if you love Christ ... then through the prism of this love, you will love everyone else.
Later in the Gospel for today, Jesus speaks of prudence: Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? So, being a disciple of Christ also requires prudence.
You need to sit down and think because often our faith is driven by feelings, emotions and the willingness to follow Jesus is dictated by a simple impulse of the heart. It is all right. But it also takes prudence. It takes a decision as an act of the will that I want it and I know what awaits me. As in the parables above ... a wrong calculation can have negative consequences.
And in the decision to be a disciple we just need to "give up everything,” reshuffle our priorities. if we don't know about it ... just hit the road ... at some point we can get to the moment where "there is not enough money." on completion of construction " and what next? and you abandon your project of building a life on Christ ... and you hear: This man started to build, and he was not able to finish.
Dear brothers and sisters.
today I am leaving on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. I am taking all your intentions with me, but most of all I am taking all of you.
I go there with six married couples. Everyone has their own reasons for the pilgrimage. I, have my own, to pray for all of us. Please remember about me in your prayers.
I will resume my writings on the First Sunday of Advent.
During this time, please go back and review all the meditations that I sent to you, which you can also find in our blog at www.timeofmercy.com
Write down any questions that you might want me to address when we resume.
Until the First Sunday of Advent
fr. george