22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A
LETTING GO
My friend was talking
about her daughter's coming wedding – the church, reception and
honeymoon. When I interrupted to ask where the newly weds plan to
live after the ceremonies, my friend said that she was happy the
location chosen was just near her house. She said she instructed her
daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law to take their meals, to do their
laundry, and to collect their supplies from her house. She also
volunteered to send her own maid to clean the condominium unit of the
couple. In effect, I felt, she was telling her daughter to stay
exactly the same as before her wedding.
Why is it difficult to
let go of people? Of course, we say that it is because we love that
we find it difficult to release people from our midst. Because we
delight in their company, we feel pain when we have to risk seeing
them go far and go through the pains of daily challenges and ordeals.
Sometimes too, we hate to see people go for our own benefit. We do
not want to lose control of them. Letting go would mean relinquishing
our relevance in the lives of others.
Peter experienced the
pain of letting go when he heard the Lord Jesus speak about his
passion: God forbid, Lord. No such thing will ever happen to you!
(Mt. 16). Of course, Peter loved his Master so much that he wanted to
hear none of his predictions of suffering. But can it also be that
Peter retorted because he knew that if he let him go, Jesus would no
longer be at his side all the time, consoling him, delighting him,
amazing him and fascinating him. Jesus would belong to a bigger
crowd, a wider world, and what would that make of Peter? It would
reveal further his weaknesses and his wounds.
Jesus explained that
without going through the path of the cross, he could never reach the
heights of glory. In fact, not only he, but every disciple must let
go of his own comfort and ease, in order to truly find meaning in
life.
Are there people in our
lives we fear losing? Is there a loved one who has to go abroad to
work and we are so worried? Is there a family member or friend who is
gravely ill and we cannot accept the inevitable death? Are there
things in our lives we cannot release from our grasp because it would
make us vulnerable, weak and without anchor?
Let us pray to the Lord
for the gift of letting go and finding life!
