Cycle A - Year II:  

28 June 2020: Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16

Second Reading:   Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 10:37-42

"Our choice to make!"

A wise man says "Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up!"

We live in very challenging times with the deadly pandemic affecting the whole world. And even more challenging is to see where God is during these most trying times.  But then, God is also relegated to the background in fighting the pandemic with the continued disallow of reopening Churches for public worship.

This Sunday's Gospel reading is as challenging as well when our Lord Jesus Christ tells His disciples that the cost for following Him is very high.

The Gospel reading from Matthew brings to a close the so-called missionary discourse in which Jesus instructs His disciples on what it actually means to be a disciple of Jesus.

In following the way of Jesus, and living the Gospel of truth and justice and compassion, we have to make excruciating choices.  And we find Jesus in the Gospel reading being extremely demanding with His disciples: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves sons or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Mt 10:37)

Thus, our Lord Jesus was utterly honest in telling His followers that it would cost them dearly to follow after Him.  Because the demands of discipleship call for total commitment and unconditional trust in Jesus to follow in His footsteps and face life's difficulties with hope.  And remember where our Lord's footsteps led, His death in Calvary.

In other words, there is deep suffering in the way of discipleship, suffering that comes from being true to the mission no matter what the cost.  Taking up the cross is a powerful metaphor for being willing to endure whatever hardships are involved in realizing the mission of God's kingdom.

Now, even to our generation, discipleship remains a real challenge. Because we live in a world of so much personal and collective sufferings, sometimes or often times of our own making.  Even the Church is not spared, as it suffers from dissension and division, even unfounded attacks for its teaching on the sanctity of life and the Church's defense of the unborn.  Are we willing to face the challenges and never give up?

Then we also ask: "What does Christianity have to offer that it is worth giving up everything else, including family and self, to follow Jesus Christ?

 Well, in truth more than we can fathom.  For Jesus offers His followers a priceless treasure, which is true happiness, peace, and joy unending with our everlasting Father in the heavenly kingdom.

And so it is our choice to accept Christ in our lives, and when we do so He must be given priority over other loves and commitments.  Because losing everything else for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel, we will surely find eternal life.

Saint Paul says it so to the Romans: "If then we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." (Rom 6:8)

Finally, Jesus Himself assures us of our rewards: ".... and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." (Mt 10:40)

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!