Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 14, 25-33
Now large crowds were travelling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Renounce to gain.
1) Renouncing implies accepting that in life we can’t have it all. When you give something away, you win more. It means letting go to obtain something. The person who doesn’t let go and takes a risk thinks they have everything, but it is not so. I’m not talking of reducing everything only to material things, but rather to the situations in life in which we make changes in our lives. This is why it’s so difficult to give up some things, people, or situations. We must have the capacity to discern when we must make a decision.
2) Disciple. Jesus points out all these renunciations as requirements to be his disciple. Following Him implies leaving some things that you have firmly ‘fixed’ in your life: aspects of your personality, habits, and maybe even some 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’s disciple, He always tells us that there is a cross. Following Him doesn’t mean you will no longer have a personal “cross” to carry. There will still be “crosses,” but there will now be 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 of 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 of what imprisons or entraps you and makes you suffer, and let yourself be embraced by us, the Church. I’m not referring just to the Church as a formal organization, but instead to 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.
