Cycle C - Year II:

4 September 2016: Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Gospel: Please read Luke 14:25-33

Making a choice for God!

Are Christians allowed to "hate"? That is an interesting question. Because we know that our Lord Jesus Christ commands us to love one another and that we will be known by such love. (Jn 13:34-35).

So, it may appear confusing to read, or hear, the beginning of the Gospel proclamation for this Sunday, coming from our Lord Himself: "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." (Lk 14:26)

That seems to be the case when we quote or read Scriptures out of context. How then do we deal with this?

In our Catholic religion, we have the branch of theology, called exegesis, which investigates and expresses the true sense of sacred Scriptures. Catholic exegesis has better grasp of the meaning of texts in their linguistic, literary, sociocultural, religious and historical contexts, explaining them well through studying their sources and attending to the personality of each human "authors" of Scriptures.

So, let us understand our Lord's strong language to "hate" our families and even ourselves in their proper context, according to the teachings of our Church.

The expression "to hate" often meant "to prefer less". Jesus used strong language to make clear that nothing take precedence or first place in our lives over God.

Jesus reminds us that the Gospel is not merely a preaching to be accepted but a choice that we must live in concrete situations. It is our personal choice to accept Christ in our lives, and when we do so He must be given priority over our other loves and commitments.

Our Lord was utterly honest in telling His disciples that it would cost them dearly to follow after Him. Because to gain all, one must also be willing to give all. In other words, there can be no room for compromises or concessions with God. We either give our lives over to Him completely, or we keep them for ourselves as we drown in worldly concerns.

And so we also ask: What does Christianity have to offer that is worth giving up everything else for, including one's life? Well, in reality more than we can fathom! Because Jesus offers His followers a priceless treasure, which is true happiness, peace, and joy unending with our everlasting Father in the heavenly kingdom.

Thus, Jesus tells us to detach ourselves from things that take us away from experiencing true joy and peace in the Lord. He calls us to walk with Him on His journey to Jerusalem to carry His cross of salvation. We must not be burdened by too many possessions and worldly concerns. Yes, following Jesus is indeed a difficult and rough journey in life, but there is a firm trust and hope in the resurrection that we will share with Jesus in the end. In this journey with our Lord, even our sufferings become our prayer.

In sum, Jesus's life and teachings are just as radical today, in our generation, as they were more than 2,000 years ago. It is easy to call ourselves "Christians". But are we really willing to accept and follow everything Jesus taught?

The choice is ours to make, which we must live in concrete situations, meaning we must apply and follow Our Lord's teachings both when convenient and inconvenient. And trust and believe that our Lord Jesus Christ does not leave us alone, when we choose to follow Him.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!