Saturday, June 18, 2005
LUKE 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, "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. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 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? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, `This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.' Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple."
HOMILY
The cost of Christian discipleship can be very high. Loyalty to Christ and his values, according to today's gospel, must be placed even before loyalty to one's family. To accept discipleship, according to this gospel, is to accept the possibility of the cross: the possibility of rejection by family and friends, even the possibility of loss of life. Anyone who is unwilling to accept Christ's cross, again according to this gospel, cannot be his disciple.
It's time for us to reflect on the quality of our Christian discipleship. Do we put limits on our commitment to Christ. "I'm loyal to you, Lord, but please don't ask me to give you my health or my life, don't ask me to sacrifice my little luxuries, don't ask me to give my time, my energy, my efforts."
We have to ask ourselves about the quality of our discipleship. Am I a disciple only when discipleship makes no demands of me? Or is my loyalty and my commitment to Christ the most important thing in my life?
PRAYER
"Lord, may your love consume me and transform my life that I may truly desire nothing more than life with you. Help me to count the cost and to joyfully embrace discipleship for your sake."
HOMILY
The cost of Christian discipleship can be very high. Loyalty to Christ and his values, according to today's gospel, must be placed even before loyalty to one's family. To accept discipleship, according to this gospel, is to accept the possibility of the cross: the possibility of rejection by family and friends, even the possibility of loss of life. Anyone who is unwilling to accept Christ's cross, again according to this gospel, cannot be his disciple.
It's time for us to reflect on the quality of our Christian discipleship. Do we put limits on our commitment to Christ. "I'm loyal to you, Lord, but please don't ask me to give you my health or my life, don't ask me to sacrifice my little luxuries, don't ask me to give my time, my energy, my efforts."
We have to ask ourselves about the quality of our discipleship. Am I a disciple only when discipleship makes no demands of me? Or is my loyalty and my commitment to Christ the most important thing in my life?
PRAYER
"Lord, may your love consume me and transform my life that I may truly desire nothing more than life with you. Help me to count the cost and to joyfully embrace discipleship for your sake."
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 4:21 PM 
