Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 487
Lectionary: 487
My beloved, obedient as you have always been,
not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent,
work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
For God is the one who, for his good purpose,
works in you both to desire and to work.
Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life,
so that my boast for the day of Christ may be
that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
But, even if I am poured out as a libation
upon the sacrificial service of your faith,
I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.
In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.
not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent,
work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
For God is the one who, for his good purpose,
works in you both to desire and to work.
Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life,
so that my boast for the day of Christ may be
that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
But, even if I am poured out as a libation
upon the sacrificial service of your faith,
I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.
In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (1a) The
Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Alleluia1 PT 4:14
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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."
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."
Meditation: The true cost of discipleship
Why does the Lord Jesus say we must 'hate' our
families and even ourselves (Luke 14:26)? In Biblical times the expression 'to
hate' often meant to 'prefer less'. Jesus used strong language to make clear
that nothing should take precedence or first place over God. God our heavenly
Father created us in his image and likeness to be his beloved sons and
daughters. He has put us first in his love and concern for our well-being and happiness.
Our love for him is a response to his exceeding love and kindness towards us.
True love is costly because it holds nothing back from the beloved - it is
ready to give all and sacrifice all for the beloved. God the Father gave us his
only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who freely offered up his life for us
on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His sacrificial death
brought us pardon and healing, new life in the Spirit and peace with God.
The cost of following Jesus as his disciples
Jesus willingly embraced the cross, not only out of obedience to his Father's will, but out of a merciful love for each one of us in order to set us free from slavery to sin, Satan, and everything that would keep us from his love, truth, and goodness. Jesus knew that the cross was the Father's way for him to achieve victory over sin and death - and glory for our sake as well. He counted the cost and said 'yes' to his Father's will. If we want to share in his glory and victory, then we, too, must 'count the cost' and say 'yes" to his call to "take up our cross and follow him" as our Lord and Savior.
Jesus willingly embraced the cross, not only out of obedience to his Father's will, but out of a merciful love for each one of us in order to set us free from slavery to sin, Satan, and everything that would keep us from his love, truth, and goodness. Jesus knew that the cross was the Father's way for him to achieve victory over sin and death - and glory for our sake as well. He counted the cost and said 'yes' to his Father's will. If we want to share in his glory and victory, then we, too, must 'count the cost' and say 'yes" to his call to "take up our cross and follow him" as our Lord and Savior.
What is the 'way of the cross' for you and me? It
means that when my will crosses with God's will, then his will must be done.
The way of the cross involves sacrifice, the sacrifice of laying down my life
each and every day for Jesus' sake. What makes such sacrifice possible and
"sweet" for us is the love of God poured out for us in the blood of
Christ who cleanses us and makes us a new creation in him. Paul the Apostle
tells us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through
the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). We can
never outmatch God in his merciful love and kindness towards us. He always
gives us more than we can expect or imagine. Do you allow the Holy Spirit to
fill your heart and transform your life with the overflowing love and mercy of
God?
The wise plan ahead to avert failure and shame
What do the twin parables of the tower builder and a ruler on a war campaign have in common (Luke 14:28-32)? Both the tower builder and the ruler risked serious loss if they did not carefully plan ahead to to make sure they could finish what they had begun. In a shame and honor culture people want at all costs to avoid being mocked by their community for failing to complete a task which they had begun in earnest. This double set of parables echoes the instruction given in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs: "By wisdom a house is built" and "by wise guidance you can wage a war" to ensure victory (Proverbs 24:3-6).
What do the twin parables of the tower builder and a ruler on a war campaign have in common (Luke 14:28-32)? Both the tower builder and the ruler risked serious loss if they did not carefully plan ahead to to make sure they could finish what they had begun. In a shame and honor culture people want at all costs to avoid being mocked by their community for failing to complete a task which they had begun in earnest. This double set of parables echoes the instruction given in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs: "By wisdom a house is built" and "by wise guidance you can wage a war" to ensure victory (Proverbs 24:3-6).
In Jesus' time every landowner who could afford it
built a wall around his orchard or vineyard as a protection from intruders who
might steal or destroy his produce. A tower was usually built in a corner of
the wall and a guard posted especially during harvest time when thieves would
likely try to make off with the goods. Starting a building-project, like a
watchtower, and leaving it unfinished because of poor planning or insufficient
funds would invite the scorn of the whole village. Likewise a king who decided
to wage a war against an opponent who was much stronger, would be considered
foolish if he did not come up with a plan that had a decent chance of success.
Counting the cost and investing wisely are necessary conditions for securing a
good return on the investment.
The great exchange
If you prize something of great value and want to possess it, it's natural to ask what it will cost you before you make a commitment to invest in it. Jesus was utterly honest and spared no words to tell his disciples that it would cost them dearly to be his disciples - it would cost them their whole lives and all they possessed in exchange for the new life and treasure of God's kingdom. The Lord Jesus leaves no room for compromise or concession. We either give our lives over to him entirely or we keep them for ourselves. Paul the Apostle reminds us, "We are not our own. We were bought with a price" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19b,20). We were once slaves to sin and a kingdom of darkness and oppression, but we have now been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ who has ransomed us from a life of darkness and destruction so we could enter his kingdom of light and truth. Christ has set us free to choose whom we will serve in this present life as well as in the age to come - God's kingdom of light, truth, and goodness or Satan's kingdom of darkness, lies, and deception. There are no neutral parties - we are either for God's kingdom or against it.
If you prize something of great value and want to possess it, it's natural to ask what it will cost you before you make a commitment to invest in it. Jesus was utterly honest and spared no words to tell his disciples that it would cost them dearly to be his disciples - it would cost them their whole lives and all they possessed in exchange for the new life and treasure of God's kingdom. The Lord Jesus leaves no room for compromise or concession. We either give our lives over to him entirely or we keep them for ourselves. Paul the Apostle reminds us, "We are not our own. We were bought with a price" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19b,20). We were once slaves to sin and a kingdom of darkness and oppression, but we have now been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ who has ransomed us from a life of darkness and destruction so we could enter his kingdom of light and truth. Christ has set us free to choose whom we will serve in this present life as well as in the age to come - God's kingdom of light, truth, and goodness or Satan's kingdom of darkness, lies, and deception. There are no neutral parties - we are either for God's kingdom or against it.
Who do you love first - above all else?
The love of God compels us to choose who or what will be first in our lives. To place any relationship or any possession above God is a form of idolatry - worshiping the creature in place of the Creator and Ruler over all he has made. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who and what they love first and foremost. We can be ruled and mastered by many different things - money, drugs, success, power or fame. Only one Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, can truly set us free from the power of sin, greed, and destruction. The choice is ours - who will we serve and follow - the path and destiny the Lord Jesus offers us or the path we choose in opposition to God's will and purpose for our lives. It boils down to choosing between life and death, truth and falsehood, goodness and evil. If we choose for the Lord Jesus and put our trust in him, he will show us the path that leads to true joy and happiness with our Father in heaven.
The love of God compels us to choose who or what will be first in our lives. To place any relationship or any possession above God is a form of idolatry - worshiping the creature in place of the Creator and Ruler over all he has made. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who and what they love first and foremost. We can be ruled and mastered by many different things - money, drugs, success, power or fame. Only one Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, can truly set us free from the power of sin, greed, and destruction. The choice is ours - who will we serve and follow - the path and destiny the Lord Jesus offers us or the path we choose in opposition to God's will and purpose for our lives. It boils down to choosing between life and death, truth and falsehood, goodness and evil. If we choose for the Lord Jesus and put our trust in him, he will show us the path that leads to true joy and happiness with our Father in heaven.
"Lord Jesus, your are my Treasure, my Life, and
my All. There is nothing in this life that can outweigh the joy of knowing,
loving, and serving you all the days of my life. Take my life and all that I
have and make it yours for your glory now and forever."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus permits us to love family but not more
than God, by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444
A.D.
"He says, 'He that loves father or mother more
than me is not worthy of me. He that loves son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me' (Matthew 10:37). By adding 'more than me,' it is plain that he
permits us to love, but not more than we love him. He demands our highest
affection for himself and that very correctly. The love of God in those who are
perfect in mind has something in it superior both to the honor due to parents
and to the natural affection felt for children." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 105)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, LUKE
14:25-33
Weekday
(Philippians 2:12-18; Psalm 27)
Weekday
(Philippians 2:12-18; Psalm 27)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (v. 27).
TO KNOW: As Jesus drew closer to his destiny in Jerusalem, he asked his followers to consider whether or not they were prepared to continue the journey. Were they ready to renounce everything, even personal relationships, which might interfere with their following him? Jesus asked his disciples to think carefully about these demands before they made this commitment. He used two examples to explain the need to be prepared. In the first illustration, a builder must make an assessment of his materials before he could begin construction, otherwise he might not be able to complete the job. In the second example, it was necessary for a ruler to weigh the strength of his army before going to battle, or else he might be defeated. Only those who were fully prepared would be able to follow Jesus to the cross that awaited him.
TO LOVE: How prepared am I to make sacrifices for the sake of the gospel?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to examine my spiritual strengths and weaknesses so that I can follow you faithfully.
Wednesday 7
November 2018
Philippians
2:12-18. Psalm 26(27):1, 4, 13-14. Luke 14:25-33.
The Lord is my light and my salvation. Psalm 26(27):1, 4,
13-14.
‘Shine
out among them like bright stars in the world.’
It is
important to understand Jesus’ words. He is using a Jewish expression of his
time in which ‘hate’ means ‘love less’. He is saying that we should love our
relatives and ourselves less than we love God. We need this advice because we
often give God second place in our lives. Love of God should come first, all
other loves later.
Jesus
goes on to say that his disciples should take up their cross and follow him.
Discipleship is not an easy option. We have to be ready to renounce everything.
Of course, it is worthwhile, but we naturally shrink from it. It is only with
the Lord’s help that we can follow him. We ask for that grace.
Saint Didacus
Saint
of the Day for November 7
(c.
1400 – November 12, 1463)
 |
| San Diego (Didacus) de Alcalá | Francisco de Zurbarán |
Saint
Didacus’ Story
Didacus
is living proof that God “chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;
God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”
As a
young man in Spain, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for
some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed
a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. His penances were heroic. He
was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his
charity.
Didacus
volunteered for the missions in the Canary Islands and labored there
energetically and profitably. He was also the superior of a friary there.
In
1450, he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of Saint Bernardine
of Siena. When many of the friars gathered for that celebration fell ill,
Didacus stayed in Rome for three months to nurse them. After he returned to
Spain, he pursued a life of contemplation full-time. He showed the friars the
wisdom of God’s ways.
As he
was dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said: “O faithful wood, O precious
nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged
worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven” (Marion A. Habig, OFM, The
Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 834).
San
Diego, California, is named for this Franciscan, who was canonized in 1588.
Reflection
We
cannot be neutral about genuinely holy people. We either admire them or we
consider them foolish. Didacus is a saint because he used his life to serve God
and God’s people. Can we say the same for ourselves?
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 14:25-33
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
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 - Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds accompanied Jesus on His
way and He turned and spoke to them. "Anyone who comes to me without
hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and yes, his own life
too, cannot be my disciple. No one who does not carry his cross and come after
me can be my disciple.
And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying, ‘Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish.’
Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace.
And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying, ‘Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish.’
Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace.
So in the same way, none of you can be
my disciple without giving up all that he owns.”
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks about
discipleship and presents the conditions to be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus is on
the way to Jerusalem where He will die soon on the Cross. This is the context
in which Jesus speaks about discipleship.
• Luke 14, 25: An example of catechesis. The Gospel today is a beautiful example of how Luke transforms the words of Jesus into catechesis for the people in the communities. He says: “Great crowds accompanied him. He turned and spoke to them”. Jesus speaks to the great crowd, that is, He speaks to all, to the persons of the communities at the time of Luke, and today He speaks for us. In the teaching which follows, Jesus gives the conditions for those who want to be His disciples.
• Luke 14, 25-26: First condition: to hate father and mother. Some reduce the force of the word to hate and translate it as “to prefer Jesus to one’s own parents”. The original text uses the expression “to hate one’s parents”. In another place, Jesus says one must love and respect one’s parents (Lk 18, 20). How can this contradiction be explained? Is it a contradiction? The force of the word is typically Semitic. Matthew uses the terms “loves father or mother more”, which shows the meaning of hate is rather to love less. At the time of Jesus, social and economic conditionss led families to become self contained. This prevented them from fulfilling the law of ransom or liberation (goel) which calls one to help one’s brothers and sisters in community (clan) who were in danger of losing their land or becoming slaves (cf. Dt 15, 1-18; Lv 25, 23-43). Closed in upon themselves, the families weakened life in the community. Jesus wants to reconstruct life in community. This is why He asks to put an end to the restricted vision of the small family. He asks the family to open itself and be united by the larger family of community. This is the sense of hating father and mother, and wife, sons, sisters and brothers. Himself When His family wants to take Him back to Nazareth, Jesus does not symapthize with their request. He ignores or hates their petition and extends His family saying: “Behold, my mother and my brothers! Anyone who does the will of God, is my brother, sister and mother” (Mk 3: 20-21,31-35). The family bonds of union cannot prevent the formation of the Community. This is the first condition.
• Luke 14, 27: Second condition: to carry the cross. “No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple”. In order to understand the importance of this second requirement we have to look at the context in which Luke places this word of Jesus. Jesus is going toward Jerusalem to be crucified and to die. To follow Jesus and to carry the cross means to go with Him up to Jerusalem to be crucified with him. This recalls the attitude of the women who “followed and served Him when He was still in Galilee, and many others who went up to Jerusalem with him” (Mk 15, 41). This also reminds us of Paul’s phrase in the Letter to the Galatians: “But as for me, it is out of the question that I should boast at all, except of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Ga 6,14)
• Luke 14, 28-32: Two parables. Both of these parables have the same objective: that people may think well before making a decision. In the first parable, He says “which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying: Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish!” This parable needs no explanation. It speaks for itself. Let each one reflect well on his/her way of following Jesus and ask him/herself if he/she values the conditions before making the decision to become a disciple of Jesus.
The second parable: Or again, “which king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace”. This parable has the same purpose of the one before. Some ask: “How is it that Jesus uses an example of war?” The question is a pertinent one for us who today know the wars. The Second World War (1939-1945) caused the death to about 54 million people! At that time, though, the wars were similar to commercial competition between enterprises which today struggle among themselves to obtain the greatest profit or gain at the expense of the other.
• Luke 14, 25: An example of catechesis. The Gospel today is a beautiful example of how Luke transforms the words of Jesus into catechesis for the people in the communities. He says: “Great crowds accompanied him. He turned and spoke to them”. Jesus speaks to the great crowd, that is, He speaks to all, to the persons of the communities at the time of Luke, and today He speaks for us. In the teaching which follows, Jesus gives the conditions for those who want to be His disciples.
• Luke 14, 25-26: First condition: to hate father and mother. Some reduce the force of the word to hate and translate it as “to prefer Jesus to one’s own parents”. The original text uses the expression “to hate one’s parents”. In another place, Jesus says one must love and respect one’s parents (Lk 18, 20). How can this contradiction be explained? Is it a contradiction? The force of the word is typically Semitic. Matthew uses the terms “loves father or mother more”, which shows the meaning of hate is rather to love less. At the time of Jesus, social and economic conditionss led families to become self contained. This prevented them from fulfilling the law of ransom or liberation (goel) which calls one to help one’s brothers and sisters in community (clan) who were in danger of losing their land or becoming slaves (cf. Dt 15, 1-18; Lv 25, 23-43). Closed in upon themselves, the families weakened life in the community. Jesus wants to reconstruct life in community. This is why He asks to put an end to the restricted vision of the small family. He asks the family to open itself and be united by the larger family of community. This is the sense of hating father and mother, and wife, sons, sisters and brothers. Himself When His family wants to take Him back to Nazareth, Jesus does not symapthize with their request. He ignores or hates their petition and extends His family saying: “Behold, my mother and my brothers! Anyone who does the will of God, is my brother, sister and mother” (Mk 3: 20-21,31-35). The family bonds of union cannot prevent the formation of the Community. This is the first condition.
• Luke 14, 27: Second condition: to carry the cross. “No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple”. In order to understand the importance of this second requirement we have to look at the context in which Luke places this word of Jesus. Jesus is going toward Jerusalem to be crucified and to die. To follow Jesus and to carry the cross means to go with Him up to Jerusalem to be crucified with him. This recalls the attitude of the women who “followed and served Him when He was still in Galilee, and many others who went up to Jerusalem with him” (Mk 15, 41). This also reminds us of Paul’s phrase in the Letter to the Galatians: “But as for me, it is out of the question that I should boast at all, except of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Ga 6,14)
• Luke 14, 28-32: Two parables. Both of these parables have the same objective: that people may think well before making a decision. In the first parable, He says “which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying: Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish!” This parable needs no explanation. It speaks for itself. Let each one reflect well on his/her way of following Jesus and ask him/herself if he/she values the conditions before making the decision to become a disciple of Jesus.
The second parable: Or again, “which king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace”. This parable has the same purpose of the one before. Some ask: “How is it that Jesus uses an example of war?” The question is a pertinent one for us who today know the wars. The Second World War (1939-1945) caused the death to about 54 million people! At that time, though, the wars were similar to commercial competition between enterprises which today struggle among themselves to obtain the greatest profit or gain at the expense of the other.
• Luke 14, 33: Conclusion for
discipleship. The conclusion is only one: to be Christian, to follow Jesus, is
something serious. For many people today, to be Christian is not a personal
choice, and neither is it a decision for life, but a simple cultural
phenomenon. They do not even think of making a choice. Anyone who is born a
Brazilian is a Brazilian. He who is born Japanese is Japanese. He does not have
to choose. He is born like that and will die like that. Many people are
Christians because they were born so l, without ever choosing their
faith.
4) Personal questions
• To be a Christian is something
serious. I have to think out well my way of following Jesus. How does this take
place in my life?
• “To hate one’s parents”, community or
family! How do I put together these two things? Am I capable of harmonizing
them?
5) Concluding prayer
Yahweh is my light and my salvation,
whom should I fear?
Yahweh is the fortress of my life,
whom should I dread? (Sal 27,1)
whom should I fear?
Yahweh is the fortress of my life,
whom should I dread? (Sal 27,1)
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