Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 487
Lectionary: 487
Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill;
you shall not steal;
you shall not covet,
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill;
you shall not steal;
you shall not covet,
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
R. ( 5a) Blessed
the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
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 6, LUKE 25-33
Weekday
(Romans 13:8-10; Psalm 112)
Weekday
(Romans 13:8-10; Psalm 112)
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 6 November 2019
Romans 13:8-10. Psalm 111(112):2, 4-5, 9. Luke 14:25-33
Happy the merciful who give to those in need – Psalm 111(112):2,
4-5, 9.
‘You must love your neighbour as yourself’
‘Love’ in the digital era is expressed frequently and intensely,
but it’s a fickle business. Social media platforms ensure we can communicate
feelings for whoever or whatever is seeking our attention – an endless
conveyor belt of products, personalities and opinions. Except signalling our
approval isn’t love. It’s not even close to St Paul’s description of love. Love
which is unselfish. Love which does no wrong to a neighbour.
The tides of popularity can change, as Jesus must have sensed.
Those crowds who follow him, do they know how difficult true love and fellowship
can be? How it will be tested and what they must leave behind? As Christians
today, we are evermore challenged to remain faithful to discipleship, to the
ideal of love expressed by Paul. Are we really prepared to carry our cross? Can
we truly love our neighbour as we love ourselves? Are we ready to do more than
click a button?
Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions
Saint of the Day for November 6
(1340 – November 14, 1391)
 |
| Altar of Saint Nikola Tavelić in church of St. Francis of Assisi, Šibenik, Croatia | photo by ignot |
Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions’ Story
Nicholas and his three companions are among the 158 Franciscans
who have been martyred in the Holy Land since the friars became custodians of
the shrines in 1335.
Nicholas was born in 1340 to a wealthy and noble family in
Croatia. He joined the Franciscans, and was sent with Deodat of Rodez to preach
in Bosnia. In 1384, they volunteered for the Holy Land missions and were sent
there. They looked after the holy places, cared for the Christian pilgrims, and
studied Arabic.
In 1391, Nicholas, Deodat, Peter of Narbonne, and Stephen of
Cuneo decided to take a direct approach to converting the Muslims. On November
11, they went to the huge Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem and asked to see the
Qadix—Muslim official. Reading from a prepared statement, they said that all
people must accept the gospel of Jesus. When they were ordered to retract their
statement, they refused. After beatings and imprisonment, they were beheaded
before a large crowd.
Nicholas and his companions were canonized in 1970. They are the
only Franciscans martyred in the Holy Land to be canonized. The Liturgical
Feast of Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions is November 14.
Reflection
Francis presented two missionary approaches for his friars.
Nicholas and his companions followed the first approach—live quietly and give
witness to Christ—for several years. Then they felt called to take the second
approach of preaching openly. Their Franciscan confréres in the Holy Land are
still working by example to make Jesus better known.
Lectio Divina: Luke 14:25-33
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
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,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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, 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, 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 for being a disciple of Jesus. Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem
where He will soon die 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 to 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 conditions 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. Deut 15:1-18; Lev 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 to the larger family of community. This is the sense of hating father and mother, and wife, sons, sisters and brothers. 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 familial bonds of union cannot stand in the way of 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 saying 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 statement 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” (Gal 6:14)
• Luke 14:28-32: Two parables. Both of these parables have the same objective: that people may think hard 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, 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 wars. The Second World War (1939-1945) caused the death of about 54 million people! At that time of Jesus, though, wars were similar to commercial competition between enterprises, which nowadays 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 to 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 conditions 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. Deut 15:1-18; Lev 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 to the larger family of community. This is the sense of hating father and mother, and wife, sons, sisters and brothers. 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 familial bonds of union cannot stand in the way of 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 saying 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 statement 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” (Gal 6:14)
• Luke 14:28-32: Two parables. Both of these parables have the same objective: that people may think hard 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, 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 wars. The Second World War (1939-1945) caused the death of about 54 million people! At that time of Jesus, though, wars were similar to commercial competition between enterprises, which nowadays 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, 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 these two things together? Am I capable of harmonizing them?
• “To hate one’s parents”, community or family! How do I put these two things together? 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? (Ps 27:1)
whom should I fear?
Yahweh is the fortress of my life,
whom should I dread? (Ps 27:1)
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