31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green)
Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
1st Reading: Phil 2:12-18
Therefore, my dearest friends, as you always obeyed me while I was with you, even more, now, that I am far from you, continue working out your salvation “with fear and trembling.” It is God who makes you not only wish but also carry out what pleases him. Do everything without grumbling, so, that, without fault or blame, you will be children of God, without reproach, among a crooked and perverse generation. You are a light among them, like stars in the universe, holding to the word of life. I shall feel proud of you, on the day of Christ, on seeing that my effort and labor have not been in vain. And if I am being poured out, as a libation over the sacrifice, and the offering of your faith, I rejoice and continue to share your joy; and, you, likewise should rejoice and share my joy.
Gospel: Lk 14:25-33
One day, when large crowds were walking along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, “If you come to me, unwilling to sacrifice your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not follow me, carrying his own cross, cannot be my disciple.
Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost, to see whether you have enough to complete it? Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will make fun of you: ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
And when a king wages war against another king, does he go to fight without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand can stand against the twenty thousand of his opponent? And if not, while the other is still a long way off, he sends messengers for peace talks. In the same way, none of you may become my disciple, if he doesn’t give up everything he has.
Reflections
What does it mean to you in your life to give up what is not essential? To give up our false claims? Can you think of a time when the choice was not easy? Can you recall a time when you made the wrong choice? How do you find yourself thinking about that today? What does it cost you to choose what is truly life-giving? How has that compared to the cost of 'choosing death?' Either way, you and I are charged with doing precisely what Jesus calls us to today as we seek to follow him: We are to measure our choices. We are to estimate the cost. We are to do so, always, focusing on the cross of Jesus as the test of truth and love. The truth shall set us free. Day after day we seek to cast our hope on the side of what is true and what is worth doing. There will be days when we will be tempted to choose the side of compromises and falsehood for the cost to follow Jesus may seem just too high. And there will be days when the line between truth and lying is not entirely clear. On those days - in all of our days - may the gift that the One who promises life also freely grants forgiveness and strength for a new day to live differently. And may we awaken tomorrow with a heart renewed to try again to choose Jesus’ cross and promise of fullness of lie. Whatever the cost, may we follow his way and not ours.
Daily Reflection 2018
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
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