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,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”
Traveling with Jesus
1. Crowds accompanied him. Even in the present day, many people seek Jesus, driven by a profound need for God. As those who have encountered Him, we are called to share Him with others through our words and actions in everyday life. Meeting Jesus and walking in His footsteps is a blessing.
2. Disciple. Discipleship is the personal journey of growing closer to Jesus—a deep, inner relationship that is uniquely yours. True intimacy with Jesus is precious, yet it faces challenges in today’s world, where even our private moments can be disrupted by technology and social media. To be a disciple is to nurture this relationship and to surrender completely to God.
3. Following. Following Jesus represents the relational aspect of discipleship. Discipleship and mission go hand in hand: a disciple naturally becomes a missionary, and by living as a missionary, one’s discipleship is strengthened.
Something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
