"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me"
Matthew 10: 37-42
A principle of motion states that for every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction. We know this well and it is why we wear seat belts
in a moving car. If the car stops
suddenly without a restraint holding us we won't stop! We will continue to move forward with
possible dire consequences. If you leave
a package on your front seat while driving and you hit the brakes, that package
will continue to move forward while you stop.
We can thank Isaac Newton for this explanation of obvious motion as a
universal principle. Science and sports know this well.
In a similar fashion for every choice there is a
consequence. If I choose to marry or
choose freely to enter religious life, the "consequence" is a more
limited personal freedom for example. As
a married person I no longer have the freedom to go where I want or to be with
who I want to be with. I must think of
the other I have married as my present and lifelong focus and the effects of my
choices on my spouse and children. Same
is true in religious life. My community,
my parish is the focus of my energy and I have a responsibility to them that
outweighs a certain level of my personal freedom.
The same principle I think can be applied to our Christian
discipleship. To follow Jesus demands a
sacrificial level of personal freedom but also great rewards. Jesus calls all of us as his disciples to
recognize that Christianity, if we take it seriously, will demand of us a
choice beyond our comfort level at times.
In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus makes a statement that is
somewhat harsh and may seem dismissive of such important family connections:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me . . .” What
about the importance of family life? Then he adds to the demand: “. . . whoever
does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me . . .” The
audience to whom Jesus spoke would have been more than mildly disturbed for
family was everything in ancient times.
One source (Sunday Web Site: University of St. Louis) states:
"The ancient middle eastern family was very large and extended from father
to all his married sons with all their families, living on one place. The ideal
marriage partner was a first cousin . . . The resultant mentality was 'our
family' against 'everyone else." That's a tight knit family structure
indeed. This is why the parable of the prodigal son was so shocking since no
Jewish son would ever betray his living father in that manner and so
shamelessly bring dishonor on the entire family by doing so.
Yet, while blood lines and family relationships are important
the demands of discipleship are essentially at play here; likewise, the measure
of our loyalty to Jesus. Do we follow
him only when things are easy and comfortable or can we remain loyal as we
share in his cross and the personal sacrifices demanded by our Christian way of
life? As he prepares his disciples for mission Jesus asks they weigh the level
of their commitment to him and his Gospel. What holds you - family or my
mission?
What we hear from our Lord this Sunday is that to be a true
Christian, we must think beyond the limits which life imposes. We would never be asked to renounce our
family ties but the demand of Christian love and sacrifice go beyond the
familiar and comfortable. The mission of
the Church may demand a re-prioritizing of our own lives. The Gospel must be preached to all and not
just to those who agree with us. Called
as missionary disciples we are challenged to become witnesses to Christ in this
world and there may be times that even our own family members disagree with
us. Can we still be loyal to the truth
which Christ has revealed to us?
It's interesting that we often hear from those in the RCIA
process for example, that family members of those who seek to be baptized and
in full communion with the Catholic Church do not understand their choice and
in some cases may outright strongly disagree with their embrace of “those
Catholics.” It may even be a spouse who
is uncomfortable or a son or daughter who wants nothing to do with Catholics. It’s tough, of course, and somewhat
hurtful. Yet called to loyalty we are
invited to seek the grace to be faithful members and followers of Christ and
his Church.
In the end, as Catholic Christians, we are essentially agents
of Jesus Christ and his Church. The Church we are born into by baptism, in
which we gather for Mass, and the community of faith that inspires and supports
us in our journey is the Body of Christ and he is the Head, we are his agents.
When we decide on programs, ministries, how we do things collaboratively as a
parish staff for example, we all keep in mind the same common purpose: to be
agents of Christ in the world and to bring others to his Church: to announce
the Gospel in a way that is welcoming and attractive.
In addition, we all who were “baptized into Christ,” as St.
Paul speaks today, live a new life in him. And the demands of that life mean
that what he asks of his disciples today, he asks of us as well. Will you be my agent in the world? This is not a demand that we leave our
families behind but rather a challenge to make our position as his agents in
the world, the framework by which we measure what we do. This kind of
commitment to Christ and the Gospel, and by that to his Church, is a very real
thing for many. Sometimes, it is particularly difficult at first.
So the readings, particularly our Gospel this Sunday, are not
to disturb us but to remind us that as a Christian I can’t be simply lukewarm
or wishy washy. Faith is more than a
title only but a profound life changing choice to follow the Lord who should be
the center of my spiritual life. That choice has its demands not for the short
term but for eternity. But so does hospitality and kindness towards others who
come as agents of the Lord.
Our first reading from Kings, shares the great blessing received
by the woman who had consistently shown the prophet Elisha hospitality. Elisha was the prophet of God, the agent of
God for whom he spoke, the woman welcomed him, and received the blessing of a
child in her future.
So, I may ask myself about where I stand in the measure of
importance with the things of God and my spiritual loyalties. Do I treat my faith as if it was a hobby or a
life time commitment? Is “Catholic” the Church I attend or the way I see myself
in the world? Do I find myself behaving very “Christian” in public or when I
attend Mass yet during the week I fall back into old patterns that are more
harmful or certainly not productive for my faith life? Am I simply a sunday Catholic or do I allow the
Gospel to frame the kind of person I am?
When my faith is challenged do I really stand up and be counted or do I
hide in the safety of the shadows?
Our Lord asks a great deal of those who believe in him. We may feel at times that Catholicism and the
Christian faith need to “loosen up” a bit.
Yet, Jesus’ words in the Gospel are still timely for us: “Whoever loses
his life for my sake will find it.”
Our gathering to share in the Body and Blood of Christ is to
receive a great act of love from the One who calls us to join his winning side
as it were. To follow Christ is to make
a conscious decision which means that other priorities have to be measured
against the Gospel. Still, after receiving so much from him how can we offer
any less?
“Go, and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”
O God, who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(Collect of Mass)
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