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 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,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”
Renounce to gain
1. Renouncing. This implies accepting that we can’t keep everything in life. When you give something up, you’ll gain something else. People who don’t let go and don’t take a risk think they have everything, but they don’t, and that makes them anxious. I’m not only talking about letting go of material things, but also, letting go of situations or people. This doesn’t happen all the time but change can lead to growth and less anxiety. It can be hard, but we have the capacity to discern, so we must make a decision.
2. Disciple. To be a disciple of Jesus, you must give up aspects of your life, such as habits or relationships, in order to follow him. Renouncing certain things, leads to gaining many others. The one I like most is “peace”.
3. The Cross. Following Jesus involves bearing personal challenges. He always tells us that there is a cross. Following him doesn’t mean there’s no cross; there will always be one, but there’s a “team” that will help you carry it and not drag it along. This “team” is the Church! Support from the Church community can help you let go of burdens and find a sense of belonging and encouragement. Let go of what imprisons you and makes you suffer, and let yourself be embraced by us, the Church. I’m not referring to the Church as a formal organization, but by the people who follow Jesus in the Church; those who have experienced his love and mercy and are there for you, to show you a new way.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
