Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 57-62
As Jesus and His disciples were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Following Jesus is the key
1) While he was walking. Those who meet Jesus can experience a dynamic encounter, because no one who knows Him remains static or unchanged. Instead, they start following Him and doing things for others. When you come to know Jesus, you feel the need to share Him with others, you feel a desire to take the Gospel to others because Jesus walks side by side with His disciples. It is in the action of God in others that we see God Himself. This is why you should meditate on your encounter with God. Discover what He is inviting you to do, where He is taking you.
2) I will follow you. Following Jesus is a decision with no conditions attached. You do not impose conditions to follow Him and to give your life to Him. Following implies knowing that there is a before and an after that decision that is linked to your identity. And your identity forges your vocation; they are intimately related. From then on, your identity and your vocation build your life from this new perspective.
3) To give up. Renouncement is a huge thing! We all give up something for what we want or for what we are committed to. In every vocation and in every calling, we must give up something or someone. That is why in the course of your life, you should consider what you are giving up for Jesus. Today, let’s give up some of our time to pray the rosary for the Church. If you devote your time to this, I can assure you we will all be stronger. Pray a rosary for the Church so it can be firmer and be more alive than ever! Let’s ask Saint Michael the Archangel to be with us.
God bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Never forget that Heaven is our goal.
