23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
First Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18
For what man knows God's counsel, or who can conceive what our LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.
Second Reading: Philemon :9-10,12-17
Beloved, I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, who was once useless to you but is now useful to both you and me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
Gospel Reading: Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, "If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, 'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.' Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple."
Reflection: Fr. Sahaya G Selvam
The Gospel of Luke presents us an image of Jesus being on his long and ultimate journey towards Jerusalem. “Great crowds accompanied him on his way and he turned and spoke to them” Lk 14:25). Jesus does not want people to rally around him as if around a celebrity. He does not want a large following of fans and admirers. He wants to form a community of disciples who will imitate him in his endurance, suffering and renunciation.
Jesus is a hero. And his heroism is in his martyrdom – giving up his life for something that he holds dear. Let us not forget that we are followers of a martyr. Surely, this is risky. So you better decide. Jesus does not force you to follow him. In an attempt to make it easier to follow Jesus, we do not have to water down his demands. Each one is free. And because this is going to be challenging you better sit and discern before you continue the journey of discipleship.
Jesus is a hero. And his heroism is in his martyrdom – giving up his life for something that he holds dear. Let us not forget that we are followers of a martyr. Surely, this is risky. So you better decide. Jesus does not force you to follow him. In an attempt to make it easier to follow Jesus, we do not have to water down his demands. Each one is free. And because this is going to be challenging you better sit and discern before you continue the journey of discipleship.
