Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 14,25-33.
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them,
“If any one 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, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
Renounce to gain.
1) Renouncing: implies accepting that in life we can’t have everything. When you give something, you win more. It means let go to obtain something. The person who doesn’t let go and take a risk thinks that has everything, but it isn’t that way…it makes him feel anguish. I’m not talking of reducing everything only to material things, but rather situations in life; the moment when we make a change in life, that’s why it’s so difficult to give up some things, people, or situations. We have the capacity to discern and we must make a decision.
2) Disciple: Jesus points out all these renunciations to be his disciple, following Him implies leaving some things that you have firmly ‘fixed’ in your life: aspects of your personality, habits, certain friends… Walking along the path of your life with Jesus requires certain renouncements, but at the same time other things are gained, and the one I like most is “peace”.
3) The Cross: Throughout the process of learning to be Jesus’ disciple, He always tells us that there is a cross. Following Him doesn’t mean there’s no cross. Yes, there is but there is a team that will help you carry it and not drag it. This team is the Church! Come on! Dive into Life and let go everything that prevents you from following Jesus. We will support and help you and we will encourage you and be there to welcome you. Let go what imprisons or entraps you and makes you suffer, let yourself be embraced by us, the Church and I’m not referring just to the Church as a formal institution, but by the people who follow Jesus in the Church, who have experienced His love and mercy and are there for you, to show you a new way.
Come on! Remember Heaven is our goal!
God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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