True Disciples of Jesus Christ........

Gospel. Lk. 14: 25- 33.

From all his disciples Jesus expects complete detachment. Detachment even from one’s own household is the cross one has to carry as Christ’s follower. Whoever does not do so, is like the foolish builder or the foolish king who did not plan ahead.

Reflection.

This readings invite us to change ourselves and to be detached from the world so that we would become true disciples of Christ; for by being attached to the world we cannot come to the knowledge of some things of the world. Therefore there is a need for a change in our lives. If we wish to attach ourselves to the Lord then we ought sit and evaluate and plan our lives, lest we be rejected at the end.

It doesn’t matter what we are now if we change for the better at this moment. That is what matters. The Lord is ready to forgive and forget and accept us back as if nothing has happened and send us out as his disciples. The question is how far we will detach ourselves from the world and take up the cross and enter the discipleship of Christ?

Then and only then as the first reading reminds us, will we come to the knowledge of the things divine, for that matter some important things of the world. Not that we would come to the knowledge of them on our own but that the Lord would reveal them to us through our wisdom. It is given to us through the Holy Spirit depending on the attachment we have with the divine. The attachment to the world will not bring us to the knowledge of the things and the ways of the divine.

For this matter we ought to sit and evaluate and plan our lives and make sure that we are His true disciples and that we would never again turn away from him for any reason. The Gospel is quite clear about it. If we are to be true disciples we must renounce the world. It say’s; “If any one comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brother and sister, yes and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Therefore we ought to think a lot about it before we became His disciples. Like a builder we should sit and count the cost whether we have enough funds to complete it or like the good king we must sit down and take counsel to see whether we could with ten thousand face the enemy that is coming with twenty thousand or else we will get destroyed. Therefore it is better to prepared.

For this matter we might need a big change quite a U turn in our lives. It doesn’t matter; the Lord is ready to accept us like in the first reading. It is the slave who ran away from Philemon that is being sent back, but this time as a child of St. Paul. And St. Paul wants him to be accepted in the same manner Philemon would accept him. That is what will happen to a sinner once he is converted. He will be accepted back totally and fully, and will be raised to share the same words of the Lord.

Aid Story.

A famous Father of the Desert was Moses the Ethiopian. He had originally been an escaped salve, and then captain of a robber band. At the age of forty God’s grace came upon him. He went to a monastery made a public confession to the monks of all his crimes and secret sins and asked in tears to be admitted. The rest of his life he spent in penance and prayer, till he was martyred by some barbarian solders.

One day there was a meeting of the hermits to decide what to do about one of them who had committed a serious fault. Moses did not attend until a second summons was sent to him. When at last he arrived among the waiting hermits he was struggling under a heavy basket carried on his back. Everybody could see it was filled with sand. “What is the basket of sand for?” somebody asked. “These are my numerous sins.” He replied. “I still have to carry them, though they are behind me and yet I am sent for to judge the sins of others.” The brethren were so impressed that they decided to pardon the delinquent.

Aid Story 2.

Saint Teresa of Avila while travelling to one of her convents had to cross a river and was on the point of drowning. She immediately implored Christ’s help, and suddenly Jesus appeared. “Why are you afraid, Teresa?” “Oh, Lord,” replied the saint, “When will You stop putting difficulties in our way?”

“Don’t forget my daughter – don’t you know that is the way I treat my friends?”

“Oh, Lord,” replied the saint, “That is why you have so few.”  

Wrote : Fr. Ciswan De Croos.


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Ranjan De Mel.