Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time_ The Cost of Discipleship_090725

 

Image Credit: Palamas Institute

Deacon Tom Writes,

The Cost of Discipleship

 

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

Take up thy cross, the Savior Said

If thou wouldst my disciple be;

Deny thyself, the world forsake,

And humbly follow after me.

 

These words from an old hymn capture the essence of our Gospel today as we hear Christ tell us a difficult truth that in order to be an authentic disciple, we will have to put some “skin in the game” so to speak. Being a disciple of Christ will cost us some relationships, like those between a mother or father, a sibling or other close relative. Choosing to follow Christ can cost a job, lose some status, cause some sleepless nights and perhaps even some suffering and pain as we saw in the terrible tragedy in Minneapolis last week with the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church.  The struggle between good and evil is everywhere around us. As people of faith we have to take a stand and when we do so because our lives have been shaped by the a Christian ethos, we are bound to suffer some form of rejection, just as Jesus did.

 

We have been listening to Luke’s gospels for a number of weeks now. He has been directing us towards a deeper relationship with Jesus by telling us to separate ourselves from the things of this world and to work for treasures that will last. Indeed, Luke urges us to set ourselves apart from all that would separate us from God.

 

I know that this is difficult to do. We live in the physical world and we work hard to gain the pleasures and comforts that it offers. Yet, we cannot lose focus on the spiritual realities that guide and govern our lives and lead us into the fullness of life that Christ promised us during this life no matter what state this life serves up to us. We who have been blessed with the good things of this life, like the Rich Man, cannot forget those who lack the basic necessities of life just because we are well fed and have a roof over our family. We cannot be insensitive to those who are refugees just because we are safe and sound here in our country or because we have the “right” citizenship. We cannot forget the lonely, the suffering, the addicted, and discouraged just because we are healthy, hopeful, befriended, and living the good life.

 

Taking up our crosses daily requires our willingness to surrender some of our creature comforts, some of our leisure time, and some of our self-centered way of thinking. We need to place an emphasis on our spiritual life and well being so that we may be sensitive to the needs of those who are less fortunate than we are. This death to self by loving and serving others as Christ did is the one sure way to begin a life in the spirit in order to grow in the awareness of the needs of those we are called to love and serve. Again, growing our spiritual lives is not an easy task but one that will have its own reward in this life and in the world to come.

 

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in to hear some Catholic Deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

 

Recommended Reading: Blessed Solanus Casey Late Detroit priest Father Solanus Casey could become first U.S. born male to attain sainthood. Father Solanus Casey, a Catholic priest who served Detroiters from the St. Bonaventure monastery on the city’s east side, died in 1957 but many still feel the impact of his service. Casey was elevated to the status of Blessed by the Vatican in 2017 and he is one step away from being named a saint. Casey would become the first male born in the United States to attain sainthood. One Detroit’s Bill Kubota visited the Solanus Casey Center to learn about Casey’s life, legacy and potential elevation to sainthood. He talks with Brother Steven Kropp, Director of the Solanus Casey Center.