Reflection for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom 9:1318a; Psalm 90; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33

“Great crowds were traveling with Jesus.”

We can imagine the “great crowds traveling with Jesus” – men, women, and children– all drawn by the magnetism of His holiness, His overflowing love, and the kindness in His eyes and voice.  And yet, at times His words were strong admonitions, as in today’s Gospel. Jesus Himself described the high price of following Him.

The demanding quality of Jesus’ preaching did not prevent very large groups of believers from following Him, as we read in St. Luke’s Gospel today.  We can imagine the families with children, traipsing along with their Hebrew version of picnic hampers, ready to absorb the wisdom of His words.

What important message did this gentle itinerant Prophet have for them? It is the freedom that Christ gained for us by redeeming us through the Cross.  The freedom to live without sin is the best emancipation anyone could have.

In today’s readings we are reminded that we, too, have our share in the redemption of Christ by three kinds of self-denial, or self-offering.

The first offering is one of family and personal ties.  “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother ….and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”  This can sound harsh to us, but it is a type of expression typically used in Jesus’ culture.  It means that we must love Jesus enough to put Him first in our relationships.  If a loved one invites me to participate in a sinful activity, or one in which I know I will be strongly tempted, I must decline.

The second kind of self-sacrifice can also be keenly felt.  “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”  How many different kinds of crosses there are!  And yet each one is perfectly fitted to the person who carries it.  The suffering that enters my life can be the penance I need to do for past sins, or a serious illness or the loss of a job.  Joined with his sufferings, ours gain infinite blessings.

The third type of offering is conveyed to us as Jesus says:  “…anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”  Jesus knows we need things to live our earthly life, but He does call us to not be attached to them.  For example, if lavish spending on non-essential items or collecting things leaves no room for charitable donations, how does our lifestyle resemble Christ’s?

The great crowds traveling with Jesus eagerly heard the blessed but challenging words that described the price of following Him.  The beauty of His words, the humility of His manner, and the simplicity of His teaching drew men after Him in spite of the sacrifices that He asked.

What are you willing to give up in order to follow Jesus?

May the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;

Prosper the work of our hands for us!

Prosper the work of our hands!