Newton Basumatari csc –
Readings: Wis 9: 13-18b; Philem 9b-10, 12-17; Lk 14: 25-33
To become worthy disciples of Jesus we need total commitment to Jesus. And to commit ourselves we need faith, and our faith needs to be rooted in Christ so that we don’t become slaves of worldly things. When we have faith in Christ, we are free from the imprisonment of our desire, and it helps us to detach ourselves from the things that are blocking us in becoming his disciples. All the disciples of Jesus must be ready to renounce their possessions and follow him radically.
In the first reading, it is stated that we need the wisdom to distinguish between perishable things which are earthly and the heavenly things which are imperishable. And when our mind is full of earthly things, it becomes a burden for us, and we become a slave to earthly things. Through the second reading, Saint Paul invites all of us to become bearers of Christ in our words and deeds. He transformed a runaway slave into a free man in Christ by Baptism.
And in the gospel, we hear about the conditions placed by Jesus before the people who desired to be his disciples. He wanted them to give him their total commitment and undivided loyalty. He demanded total detachment from material things. In our life too, we need to be fully detached and committed: committed in prayer, participation in the sacraments and service to the poor.’