13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

SACRIFICE, ANYONE?

What a great thing to be personally invited by Jesus to follow him!

Imagine if the Lord himself summons you…

Can you say “no”?

Can you say “Wait”? or “Let me think about it.”?

But the gospel today describes people’s reactions to the Lord’s call.

“Let me inform my family first.”

“I’ll settle some private concerns before I go with you.”

“I am busy now; maybe later, Lord.”

Far from condemning these people, I now think that they were just being practical and trying to be wise.

Following the Lord, committing oneself to his vision, joining him in mission is no easy thing.

Why, did he not say that there will be “no place to rest (your) head?”; that you cannot “look to what was left behind?”

Jesus did not hide the fact that following him entails sacrifice of family, ambitions, personal choices, and even of one’s life.

The Lord calls all of us to follow him, to embrace his mission, to unite our hearts totally to him.

In whatever state in life – as married people, singles, priests, religious, missionaries – we hear the call of the Lord constantly in our lives.

He does not call only once but over and over and over again; that’s how he invites us to be with him.

If you say yes, it will mean many things. It will mean becoming serious:

as couples faithful to each other

as singles devoted to care for family or community

as servants of the church totally absorbed by charity and kindness

as children respectful of parents

as public servants sincerely desirous of the public interest

as workers diligent, accountable and creative.

We witness people who say they follow the Lord but

Neglect their commitment

Break their promise

Take back their assent to the covenant

Prefer convenience and comfort

Cling to externals rather than interior attitudes

Pursue the rewards while avoiding the cross.

And sometimes are we not those same people, too?

Jesus did not call the perfect, that's for sure.

He called the strong and the weak, the virtuous and the erring.

The spotless and the stained, the integrated and the broken.

It is in following him that perfection comes.

Only he can make his followers perfect.

All they need to do is abandon themselves totally in his hands

And he will do the rest.

Is there anything the Lord is asking you to do today

as part of your commitment to him?

Are you hesitating, afraid or having second thoughts?

Pray for more trust.

Pray for assurance.

Pray for the gift of faith in the unseen.

(don't forget to share this message of the Lord)

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