Luke 9, 51-62:
Sunday, 26th June 2022 (13th OT C)
Jesus sets out on his journey from his homeland to Jerusalem, where he will complete his total surrender to the will of God. Along the way he will instruct his disciples on how to follow him. Faced with the impetuosity of the apostles (they ask him to bring down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans), he asks them for patience and tolerance: “I have not come to condemn, but to save”. To some who want to follow him, he asks them to have absolute trust in Providence and not to reserve ” assurances”: “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head “. To others he tells them that following him entails renunciations and priorities: “whoever puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God”.
To be faithful to the Gospel we all have to give up something, to sacrifice something. The apostles gave up boats, nets and family. Elisha his work, his wealth, his family (first reading). We too must be aware that the renunciation of something personal is inherent to the life of a Christian.
May the Lord give us all the strength we need to be able to renounce those things that are lawful and even good, in favour of the Gospel and love for our neighbour.
Juan Ramón Gómez Pascual, cmf
What do you relinquish in favour of the Gospel and love of neighbour?
