Monday of the Thirteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 377
Lectionary: 377
Abraham and the men who had visited him by the Terebinth of Mamre
set out from there and looked down toward Sodom;
Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way.
The LORD reflected: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
now that he is to become a great and populous nation,
and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him?
Indeed, I have singled him out
that he may direct his children and his household after him
to keep the way of the LORD
by doing what is right and just,
so that the LORD may carry into effect for Abraham
the promises he made about him."
Then the LORD said:
"The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out."
While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom,
the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said:
"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty,
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?"
The LORD replied,
"If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham spoke up again:
"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?"
He answered, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."
But Abraham persisted, saying, "What if only forty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of forty."
Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there."
Still Abraham went on,
"Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?"
He answered, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."
But he still persisted:
"Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?"
He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."
The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham,
and Abraham returned home.
set out from there and looked down toward Sodom;
Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way.
The LORD reflected: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
now that he is to become a great and populous nation,
and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him?
Indeed, I have singled him out
that he may direct his children and his household after him
to keep the way of the LORD
by doing what is right and just,
so that the LORD may carry into effect for Abraham
the promises he made about him."
Then the LORD said:
"The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out."
While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom,
the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said:
"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty,
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?"
The LORD replied,
"If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham spoke up again:
"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?"
He answered, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."
But Abraham persisted, saying, "What if only forty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of forty."
Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there."
Still Abraham went on,
"Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?"
He answered, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."
But he still persisted:
"Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?"
He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."
The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham,
and Abraham returned home.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 103:1B-2, 3-4, 8-9,
10-11
R. (8a) The
Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
AlleluiaPS 95:8
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 8:18-22
When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, 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.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, 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.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Junipero Serra, please
go here.
Meditation:
"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go"
Are
you ready to follow the Lord Jesus wherever he may lead you? In love, the Lord
Jesus calls each one of us personally by name and he invites us to follow him
as our Lord and Teacher. What an awesome privilege and an awesome
responsibility! What does it cost to be a disciple and follower of the Lord
Jesus? Our whole lives, for sure! The Lord Jesus in turn promises to give us
all that we need to follow him and more besides! Before we
"sign-up" for something, it is quite natural and appropriate to ask
what it will cost us. Jesus made sure that any "would-be" followers
knew what they were getting themselves into.
The
cost of discipleship
One prospective follower, a scribe who was an expert in the Torah (the law of God in the first five books of Moses in the Jewish bible), paid Jesus the highest compliment he knew. He called Jesus "teacher". Jesus advised this would-be follower: Before you follow me, think what you are about to do and count the cost. A disciple must be willing to part with anything that might stand in the way of following Jesus as Teacher and Master. Another would-be disciple responded by saying that he must first bury his father, that is go back home and take care of his father until he died. This disciple was not yet ready to count the cost of following Jesus. Jesus appealed to the man's heart to choose for God's kingdom first and to detach himself from anything that might keep him from following the Lord.
One prospective follower, a scribe who was an expert in the Torah (the law of God in the first five books of Moses in the Jewish bible), paid Jesus the highest compliment he knew. He called Jesus "teacher". Jesus advised this would-be follower: Before you follow me, think what you are about to do and count the cost. A disciple must be willing to part with anything that might stand in the way of following Jesus as Teacher and Master. Another would-be disciple responded by saying that he must first bury his father, that is go back home and take care of his father until he died. This disciple was not yet ready to count the cost of following Jesus. Jesus appealed to the man's heart to choose for God's kingdom first and to detach himself from anything that might keep him from following the Lord.
The
greatest call
The Lord Jesus invites us into the most wonderful and greatest of relationships - a personal relationship of love and friendship, trust and commitment with himself, the Lord and Ruler of the heavens and the earth. How can we give the Lord our unqualified "yes" to the call he has for our lives? The Lord Jesus fills the hearts of those who accept his invitation of discipleship and friendship with the outpouring of his love into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5). The love of God frees us from attachments to other things so we can give ourselves freely to God for his glory and for his kingdom. It was love that compelled the Lord Jesus to lay down his life for us. And he calls us in love to give our all for him.
The Lord Jesus invites us into the most wonderful and greatest of relationships - a personal relationship of love and friendship, trust and commitment with himself, the Lord and Ruler of the heavens and the earth. How can we give the Lord our unqualified "yes" to the call he has for our lives? The Lord Jesus fills the hearts of those who accept his invitation of discipleship and friendship with the outpouring of his love into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5). The love of God frees us from attachments to other things so we can give ourselves freely to God for his glory and for his kingdom. It was love that compelled the Lord Jesus to lay down his life for us. And he calls us in love to give our all for him.
We
cannot outgive God
What can keep us from giving our all to God? Fear, self-concern, pre-occupation, and attachment to other things. Even spiritual things can get in the way of having God alone as our Treasure if we put them first. Detachment is a necessary step if we want to make the Lord our Treasure and Joy. It frees us to give ourselves without reserve to the Lord and to his service. There is nothing greater we can do with our lives than to place them at the service of the Lord and Master of the universe. We cannot match God in generosity. Jesus promises that those who are willing to part with what is most dear to them for his sake "will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29). Is there anything holding you back from giving your all to the Lord?
What can keep us from giving our all to God? Fear, self-concern, pre-occupation, and attachment to other things. Even spiritual things can get in the way of having God alone as our Treasure if we put them first. Detachment is a necessary step if we want to make the Lord our Treasure and Joy. It frees us to give ourselves without reserve to the Lord and to his service. There is nothing greater we can do with our lives than to place them at the service of the Lord and Master of the universe. We cannot match God in generosity. Jesus promises that those who are willing to part with what is most dear to them for his sake "will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29). Is there anything holding you back from giving your all to the Lord?
"Take,
O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my
whole will. All that I am and all that I possess you have given me. I surrender
it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love
and your grace - with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing
more.” (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556)
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Following the Lord Jesus, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"'Come
follow Me, says the Lord. Do you love? He has hastened on, He has flown on
ahead. Look and see where. O Christian, don't you know where your Lord has
gone? I ask you: Don't you wish to follow Him there? Through trials,
insults,the cross, and death. Why do you hesitate? Look, the way has been shown
you." (excerpt from Sermon 64,5)
MONDAY, JULY 1, MATTHEW 8:18-22
Weekday
(Genesis 18:16-33; Psalm 103)
KEY VERSE: "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead" (v. 22).
TO KNOW: For the first time in Matthew's gospel, Jesus referred to himself as the "Son of Man," the lowly servant who was totally dedicated to God's will, and who would be exalted in glory despite grave suffering (Dn 7:13). On one occasion, an eager scribe approached Jesus asking if he could follow him as a disciple. Jesus warned the scribe that it would not be an easy task. Discipleship was a radical call that offered neither security nor comfort. When one of Jesus' disciples asked for permission to go home and bury his father, Jesus' answer appeared to be harsh. Commitment to God's reign superseded all other obligations, even those having the highest importance. All who would participate in Jesus' glory must share his total devotion to the gospel he announced.
TO LOVE: Am I willing to follow where Jesus leads me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to do what it takes to be your disciple
Weekday
(Genesis 18:16-33; Psalm 103)
KEY VERSE: "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead" (v. 22).
TO KNOW: For the first time in Matthew's gospel, Jesus referred to himself as the "Son of Man," the lowly servant who was totally dedicated to God's will, and who would be exalted in glory despite grave suffering (Dn 7:13). On one occasion, an eager scribe approached Jesus asking if he could follow him as a disciple. Jesus warned the scribe that it would not be an easy task. Discipleship was a radical call that offered neither security nor comfort. When one of Jesus' disciples asked for permission to go home and bury his father, Jesus' answer appeared to be harsh. Commitment to God's reign superseded all other obligations, even those having the highest importance. All who would participate in Jesus' glory must share his total devotion to the gospel he announced.
TO LOVE: Am I willing to follow where Jesus leads me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to do what it takes to be your disciple
Optional Memorial of Saint Junipero Serra, priest
Miguel Joseph Serra was born in 1713 on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Spain. At age of 16, Serra joined the Franciscan Order, taking the name Junipero after a friend of Saint Francis. In 1749, Padre Serra was sent to the western missionary territories of North America. In 1768 he took over missions in the Mexican provinces of Lower and Upper California. A tireless worker, he founded twenty-one missions, converted thousands of Native Americans, and trained many of them in European methods of agriculture, cattle husbandry, and crafts. One of the missions was Mission San Juan Capistrano established in 1776, the only Mission church named for Fr. Serra. The structure is also believed to be the oldest church still standing in California. Padre Serra died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo and is buried there. Recognized as “The Father of the California Missions,” a bronze statue of Fr. Serra has been placed in the Statuary Hall of our Nation’s Capital. Fr. Serra was canonized on September 23, 2015, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., by Pope Francis
NOTE: The Serra Club, named for Saint Junipero Serra, is an international Catholic organization whose mission is to foster vocations to the ordained priesthood and vowed religious life. There are 670 Serra Clubs with more than 23,000 Serra members in 35 countries. www.serraus.org.
JULY 1 - CANADA DAY
On July 1, 1867, the British government (under Queen Victoria) approved a plan which allowed Canada to become an independent country with its own government. This new nation, which remained loyal to Britain, was called the Dominion of Canada. At that time, the new Dominion of Canada had only four provinces (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick). The country now consists of 10 provinces and three territories. In 1879, July 1 became a statutory holiday, known as Dominion Day. However, no official celebrations were held until the 50th anniversary in 1917 and the 60th anniversary in 1927.
Monday 1 July 2019
Genesis 18:16-33. Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8-11. Matthew 8:18-22.
The Lord is kind and merciful – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8-11
‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’
The Lord is kind and merciful – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8-11
‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’
The scribe’s one true desire is to follow Jesus the Teacher. He
has decided he wants to be with Jesus, to learn from him and receive his
message more deeply. Something within him believes he will find life in the
presence of Jesus.
Jesus’ rebuke seems a confusing response to offer a man who
wants to be a disciple. We hear that the Son of Man is basically homeless in
this world. Perhaps his home is the road, constantly calling people to newness
of life. Everywhere he goes he offers an invitation to follow.
Following Jesus is a whole of person act with real significance
for a person’s life. Each of us has our own story of how following Jesus has
made a difference. He leads kindly with light for our path. In discerning the
direction of his light we find our true compass
Saint Junipero Serra
Saint of the Day for July 1
(November 24, 1713 – August 28, 1784)
 |
| A bronze statue of Saint Junipero Serra by sculptor Arthur Putnam stands on the grounds of the Presidio Hill in San Diego. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec) |
Saint Junipero Serra’s Story
In 1776, when the American Revolution was beginning in the east,
another part of the future United States was being born in California. That
year a gray-robed Franciscan founded Mission San Juan Capistrano, now famous
for its annually returning swallows. San Juan was the seventh of nine missions
established under the direction of this indomitable Spaniard.
Born on Spain’s island of Mallorca, Serra entered the Franciscan
Order taking the name of Saint Francis’ childlike companion, Brother
Juniper. Until he was 35, he spent most of his time in the classroom—first as a
student of theology and then as a professor. He also became famous for his
preaching. Suddenly he gave it all up and followed the yearning that had begun
years before when he heard about the missionary work of Saint Francis
Solano in South America. Junipero’s desire was to convert native peoples in the
New World.
Arriving by ship at Vera Cruz, Mexico, he and a companion walked
the 250 miles to Mexico City. On the way Junipero’s left leg became infected by
an insect bite and would remain a cross—sometimes life-threatening—for the rest
of his life. For 18 years, he worked in central Mexico and in the Baja
Peninsula. He became president of the missions there.
Enter politics: the threat of a Russian invasion south from
Alaska. Charles III of Spain ordered an expedition to beat Russia to the
territory. So the last two conquistadors—one military, one
spiritual—began their quest. José de Galvez persuaded Junipero to set out with
him for present-day Monterey, California. The first mission founded after the
900-mile journey north was San Diego in 1769. That year a shortage of food
almost canceled the expedition. Vowing to stay with the local people, Junipero
and another friar began a novena in preparation for St. Joseph’s day, March 19,
the scheduled day of departure. On that day, the relief ship arrived.
Other missions followed: Monterey/Carmel (1770); San Antonio and
San Gabriel (1771); San Luís Obispo (1772); San Francisco and San Juan
Capistrano (1776); Santa Clara (1777); San Buenaventura (1782). Twelve more
were founded after Serra’s death.
Junipero made the long trip to Mexico City to settle great
differences with the military commander. He arrived at the point of death. The
outcome was substantially what Junipero sought: the famous “Regulation”
protecting the Indians and the missions. It was the basis for the first
significant legislation in California, a “Bill of Rights” for Native Americans.
Because the Native Americans were living a nonhuman life from
the Spanish point of view, the friars were made their legal guardians. The
Native Americans were kept at the mission after baptism lest they be corrupted
in their former haunts—a move that has brought cries of “injustice” from some
moderns.
Junipero’s missionary life was a long battle with cold and
hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of death
from non-Christian native peoples. Through it all his unquenchable zeal was fed
by prayer each night, often from midnight till dawn. He baptized over 6,000
people and confirmed 5,000. His travels would have circled the globe. He
brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith but also a decent
standard of living. He won their love, as witnessed especially by their grief
at his death. He is buried at Mission San Carlo Borromeo, Carmel, and was
beatified in 1988. Pope Francis canonized him in Washington, D.C., on
September 23, 2015.
Reflection
The word that best describes Junipero is zeal. It
was a spirit that came from his deep prayer and dauntless will. “Always
forward, never back” was his motto. His work bore fruit for 50 years after his
death as the rest of the missions were founded in a kind of Christian communal
living by the Indians. When both Mexican and American greed caused the
secularization of the missions, the Chumash people went back to what they had
been—God again writing straight with crooked lines.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 8:18-22
Lectio Divina
Monday, July 1, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
guide and protector of Your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,
and keep us always in Your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
guide and protector of Your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,
and keep us always in Your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 8:18-22
When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to
the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, "Teacher, 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." Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, let me go first
and bury my father." But Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the
dead bury their dead."
3) Reflection
• From the 10th to the 12th week
of ordinary time, we have meditated on chapters 5 to 8 of the Gospel of Matthew.
Following the meditation of chapter 8, today’s Gospel presents the conditions
for following Jesus. Jesus decides to go to the other side of the lake, and a
person asks to follow Him (Mt 8:18-22).
• Matthew 8:18: Jesus gives orders to go to the other side
of the lake. He had accepted and cured all the sick whom people had
brought to Him (Mt 8:16). Many people were around Him. Seeing that crowd, Jesus
decides to go to the other side of the lake. In Mark’s Gospel, from which
Matthew takes a great part of his information, the context is varied. Jesus had
just finished the discourse of the parables (Mk 4:3-34) and said, “Let us go to
the other side!” (Mk 4:35), and, once on the boat from where He had pronounced
the discourse (cf. Mk 4:1-2), the disciples took Him to the other side. Jesus
was so tired that He went to sleep on a cushion (Mk 4:38).
• Matthew 8:19: A doctor of the Law wants to follow Jesus.
The moment at which Jesus decides to cross the lake, a doctor of the law comes
to Him and says, “Master I will follow You wherever You go.” A
parallel text in Luke (Lk 9:57-62) treats the same theme but in a slightly
different way. According to Luke, Jesus had decided to go to Jerusalem, where
He would have been condemned and killed. In going toward Jerusalem, He entered
the territory of Samaria (Lk 9:51-52), where three people ask to follow Him (Lk
9:57,59,61). In Matthew’s Gospel, written for the converted Jews, the person
who wants to follow Jesus is a doctor of the law. Matthew insists on the fact
that an authority of the Jews recognizes the value of Jesus and asks to follow
Him, to be one of His disciples. In Luke, who writes for the converted pagans,
the people who want to follow Jesus are Samaritans. Luke stresses the
ecumenical openness of Jesus who also accepts non-Jews to be His disciples.
• Matthew 8:20: Jesus’ response to the doctor of the
law. The response of Jesus is identical both in Matthew and in Luke, and
it is a very demanding response which leaves no doubts: “Foxes have holes
and the birds of the air have nests but the son of Man has nowhere to lay His
head.” Anyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus has to know what he is
doing. He should examine the requirements and estimate well, before making a
decision (Lk 14:28-32). “So in the same way none of you can be My disciple
without giving up all that he owns.” (Lk 14:33).
• Matthew 8:21: A disciple asks to go and bury his
father. Immediately, one who was already a disciple asks Him for
permission to go and bury his deceased father: “Lord, let me go and bury my father
first.” In other words, he asks Jesus to delay crossing the lake until
after the burial of his father. To bury one’s parents was a sacred duty for the
sons (cf. Tob 4:3-4).
• Matthew 8:22: Jesus’ answer. Once again the response
from Jesus is very demanding. Jesus does not delay His trip to the other side
of the lake and says to the disciple, “Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury
their dead.” When Elijah called Elisha, he allowed him to greet his
relatives (1Kings 19:20). Jesus is much more demanding. In order to understand
the significance and importance of Jesus’ response it is well to remember that
the expression “Leave the dead to bury their dead” was a popular proverb
used by the people to indicate that it is not necessary to spend energies in
things which have no future and which have nothing to do with life. Such a
proverb should not be taken literally. It is necessary to consider the
objective with which it is being used. Thus, in our case, by means of the
proverb, Jesus stresses the radical demands of the new life to which He calls
and which demands abandoning everything to follow Jesus. It describes the
requirements of following Jesus. Like the rabbi of that time Jesus
gathers His disciples. All of them “follow Jesus.” To follow was the
term which was used to indicate the relationship between the disciple and the
master. For the first Christians, to follow Jesus, meant three very
important things bound together: a) To imitate the example of the
Master: Jesus was the model to be imitated and to recreate in the life of
the disciple (Jn 13:13-15). Living together daily allowed for a constant
confrontation. In “Jesus’ School” only one subject was taught: The Kingdom
- and this Kingdom is recognized in the life and practice of Jesus.
b) To participate in the destiny of the Master: Anyone who followed
Jesus should commit himself to be with Him in His privations (Lk 22:28),
including persecutions (Mt 10:24-25) and on the Cross (Lk 14:27). He should be
ready to die with Him (Jn 11:16). c) To bear within us the life of
Jesus: After Easter, the light of the Resurrection, following took on a
third dimension: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me" (Gal 2:20). It is a matter of the mystical dimension of following
and the fruit of the action of the Spirit. The Christians tried to follow in
their life the path of Jesus who had died in defense of life and rose from the
dead by the power of God. (Phil 3:10-11).
4) Personal questions
• In what way am I living the “following of Jesus”?
• The foxes have their dens and the birds of the sky have their nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. How can we live this aspect of discipleship today?
• In what ways and how often do I tell Jesus to “hold off” and wait while I do my own thing at the moment, rather following always and everywhere?
• In what way is living a conventional life like telling Jesus to wait? If He calls us radically like He called the disciples, and we say “yes”, how is it that we continue to live “like everyone else” still?
• The foxes have their dens and the birds of the sky have their nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. How can we live this aspect of discipleship today?
• In what ways and how often do I tell Jesus to “hold off” and wait while I do my own thing at the moment, rather following always and everywhere?
• In what way is living a conventional life like telling Jesus to wait? If He calls us radically like He called the disciples, and we say “yes”, how is it that we continue to live “like everyone else” still?
For further study
The Church of the first few centuries saw the beginnings of
asceticism and monasticism in the Egyptian hermits. These early monastics took
these words of Jesus literally and left everything to follow Him. This was the
foundation for Eastern Monasticism, and through Saint Benedict, Western
Monasticism. Some of the more visible modern monastic communities are the
Benedictines and the Cistercians, or Trappists. Take time this week to read
about the early Desert Fathers as they are called, as well as the the monastic
orders that have resulted. Their lives are modeled after the early Christian
communities and this advice from Jesus. The writings of the Desert Fathers,
Saint Benedict, Saint Bernard, and others give insight on spiritual growth in
this way.
5) Concluding Prayer
Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright,
you will never hang your head in shame.
A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears,
saves him from all his troubles. (Ps 34:5-6)
you will never hang your head in shame.
A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears,
saves him from all his troubles. (Ps 34:5-6)
