Daily Mass Reflections - 11/7
“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.” ~ Luke 14:26
The cost of discipleship is once again front and center in today’s Gospel (Luke 14:25-33) wherein Jesus lays down the gauntlet of commitment, sacrifice and of course priorities.
From time to time, you may hear the term “spiritual detachment” turn up in a homily or maybe even a book or article on Catholicism.
Spiritual detachment, in many ways, gets at the heart of the life of a genuine disciple. It is the notion of loving God and then loving everything else that is of God for the sake of God. But as St. Augustine (among others) has so astutely pointed out, we as sinners fall into the trap of loving the creature or creation while forgetting the Creator. That’s typically when our possessions go on to in turn possess us. Jesus tells us that a lukewarm faith, a preoccupation with the things of this Earth, simply doesn’t cut it; we have a very stark choice to make. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” the passage goes on to say”.
No cross, no crown.
In today’s 1st Reading (Philippians 2:12-18) Paul urges us to “do everything (aka take up our crosses) without grumbling or questioning” so that “....you may shine like lights in the world.” For Paul, this was plea was personal, for he devoted his life to evangelizing on behalf of Jesus and knew that he one day would be martyred for it, his blood to be “poured out as a libation” upon the sacrificial service he offered in his teaching of the Gospel. Do this so that “my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” he concludes.
Yes, Paul loved his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that much. A conversion story for the ages.
Fact is however, we must seek innocence and purity of word and thought in all that we do for our own sake as well. Every time we choose grumbling or questioning over humbly, patiently and quietly carrying our cross, we miss out on an opportunity to grow in grace.
“Dear Lord, give us the wisdom, understanding, and fortitude to put you above all things, so that as we climb the mountain that leads to heavenly glory with our crosses firmly affixed to our backs, we may grow in our ability and desire to think, act and pray just as you did on your road that led to eternal salvation for all those who eat of your flash and drink of your blood.” ~ Amen
