Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel reading that we must renounce all possessions to be His disciples, and that we must hate father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and our own lives to follow Him. This seems drastic, and it is. Knowing that His message requires great effort and trust, Jesus asks His listeners to consider the cost: “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?” Have we considered the cost of discipleship?
On other occasions, Jesus lists the benefits of discipleship, for example during the Sermon on the Mount, as He goes through the Beatitudes. But today He extends a different invitation, an invitation to consider the costs. And just as the benefits are great, so are the costs. Jesus details the experience of the citizens of the Kingdom. They will have to give up a great deal to be a part of this Kingdom.
What does it mean to renounce our possessions, to hate our families, to hate our lives? Let’s consider the cost. When we choose to follow Jesus intentionally, wholeheartedly, comprehensively, we find that there are not many others who are willing to do the same, including many of our friends and family members. And we have to distance ourselves from what is holding us back from remaining in Christ. There are so many things in our lives that we carry with us without realizing it — even apparently neutral possessions and relationships can serve to distract us from the Kingdom. Ultimately, we will want to die to the world and live with Christ forever.
When we make this commitment and truly live it, those who have not done so will not understand. They will ask us questions, make passive-aggressive comments, and maybe throw accusations at us. Some will call themselves faithful but will have glaring inconsistencies between their beliefs and their actions. We will try to bring them over to Christ. If we stay in a state of grace, we will act as a mirror to their own faults, and they will resist it.
In the same way, the things and people we once loved before becoming more perfect disciples of Christ will become repugnant to us: We will not want to go back to those things, environments or people. To follow Christ with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we need to be willing to undergo this transformation, to let go of those things that keep us looking back. We will have to move forward toward heaven, knowing that as we grow, we might find ourselves less able to connect with those we love and without the possessions we once held so dear. But being with Jesus will be worth the sacrifice.
Daily Reading
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Malachi 3:19-20a Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will…
Saint of the Day
St. Joseph Moscati
St. Joseph Moscati
Feast date: Nov 16
On November 16, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph Moscati, the first modern medical doctor to be canonized. Born on July 25, 1880 in Benevento, Italy, he lived out the Gospel through his position as a teacher and physician. There are a number of stories of Dr. Moscati paying close attention to the state of his patient’s soul as well as the body, sometimes even bringing the patient back to the sacraments. The Catholic understanding of body and soul clearly informed his understanding of illness and medicine. He saw Confession and Communion as the “first medicine.”He is quoted as once having said, “Remember that you have to deal not only with the bodies but also with the moaning souls coming to you.”Dr. Moscati’s holiness and devotion wasn’t just limited to his practice. To help the poor, he often donated his medical services or paid for his patients’ prescriptions. St. Joseph Moscati also felt it was important to support priests and those in religious life with his prayers because, as he said: “They are easily forgotten by the living, since Christians often think that they do not need prayers.”He carried a Rosary in his pocket as a reminder throughout his day and as a way to draw him to Our Lady — and through her, to Jesus — when he needed to make important decisions.St. Joseph Moscati died on April 12, 1927 of natural causes in his office between patient appointments. He was beatified on November 16, 1975 by Pope Paul VI and canonized on October 25, 1987 by Pope John Paul II. His body rests in Naples, Italy, in the Church of Gesu Nuovo.