September 4, 2016

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C
Wisdom 9: 13-18; Philemon 9-10, 10-17; Luke 14: 25-33
A Prayer from This Sunday’s Gospel, Exploring its Meaning and Message: “Lord, I know what is important in
life. But so often I work toward material success without considering how my faith might be affected by my actions.
Why don’t I put more effort into improving my faith life? Teach me, Lord, to lose my materialism and take up my faith life
so that I may better prepare for eternity. Amen.”
This prayer says it like it is. Each of us know how we live our daily life. Each of us is trying to search
out the ways of God as best we know how. Each of us know that God did not leave us alone but so often we
feel alone because we don’t know how to live each day the way that God wants us to? Today’s readings
help us to focus on living…by carrying our cross. Let’s look for more particulars in the readings.
Many scholars say that the Book of Wisdom was written in Alexandria, Egypt, maybe 100 years before
Jesus. At times, the author speaks in the person of Solomon. He tells us that that our wisdom cannot in any
way compare to the wisdom of God. All of our great plans are subject to mistakes and failure;
circumstances change constantly thus affecting the outcome of our plans. As a result we are weighed down
and burdened by our earthly concerns. The author shares simple wisdom that we must ingrain in our
memory bank: if we can’t understand earthly things, we will never understand heavenly things. That is
why God sends the Holy Spirit to lead us and teach us and love us in the ways of God. Do we listen? Do I
spend time each day just sitting with the Lord to review the day and where I saw the Lord and what I heard
from Him through the events and people who passed through that day? He is helping me develop a right
relationship with Him, knowing that it’s only through His gifts and the Spirit that this is possible.
Paul’s letter to Philemon is very unique since it is the only personal letter in the New Testament. It is short
only 24 verses in length. It concerns Onesimus who was a slave who had run away from his master.
Onesimus was converted by Paul who sends him back to his master with this letter asking that he be
welcomed back, not as a slave but as a brother in Christ. Paul is suggesting that love is what each person is
called by Christ to be, but extravagant love is better because it involves being generous with one’s life. This
slave was touched by the love of Christ and relished this love and wanted to share it. This good news
remains worth sharing each and every day of our lives. Are we hindering others from loving? Are we
showing others by our example that love is sacrificing love…not as I will but as it builds up God’s kingdom
on earth? It is not who I am and what each person is; but it’s all about God. Am I a hindrance to this or am
I a merchant of God’s love?
Luke is sharing the journey of Jesus on His last trip to Jerusalem where ultimately He will be killed. This
journey is Jesus’ opportunity to teach His disciples and each of us the demands of being a disciple. Jesus
shares four characteristics of being His follower, it starts with the fundamental demand of being a disciple
which is loyalty. This is a great question to ask ourselves: Am I loyal to Jesus? Am I loyal to the Father
who created me? Am I loyal to the Spirit who gifts me and graces me to be love? We might hesitate with
these questions… a more fundamental example is am I loyal to my parents and family? We would say that
we certainly try to be loyal. Am I loyal to my boss and my work environment? We would say we try to be
because our livelihood depends on this. Am I loyal to my country? We would say yes because that’s what a
citizen is called to be. Well, how about my loyalty to God?
Jesus uses the word “hating” which was a Greek word and it doesn’t carry the connotations nor negative
psychological implications our society understands by this word. Sunday Homily Helps describes it in this
way: “To hate someone infers intense feelings of aversion, loathing, detestation, and abhorrence. In Jesus’ culture of
honor and shame, to hate someone meant to regard them with less esteem, to prefer them less than someone else.
This is the way Jesus chooses to express the demands of discipleship. It demands total and complete focus on the
kingdom of God. Absolute loyalty to Jesus and His mission is required of every disciple. It even surpasses the loyalty
demanded by one’s family.”
The second point has to do with His followers being prepared to endure suffering, Jesus uses the example of
‘carrying one’s cross’ to explain this. Now the practice of crucifixion can be traced to Persia three hundred
years before Jesus’ time. It was a horrible, brutal kind of death and the word ‘cross’ became a metaphor for
painful suffering in any way. To be Jesus’ disciple is to look at Jesus’ end stage, His suffering and death on
the cross. Being a follower of Jesus requires the willingness to suffer as He suffered. Am I a complainer?
Do I offer it up? Do I try to avoid all pain starting with embarrassment and beyond?
Next Jesus uses two examples stating that His followers must be always prepared and ready for whatever
challenging tasks come my way. The point is all of us in undertaking difficult challenges carefully prepare
ourselves for all the demands that are required to be successful. Do I approach being Jesus’ disciple
superficially or am I committed?
Finally Jesus shares that everything, including each and every one of our possessions, and family too, must
take second place to the Kingdom of God. Living the Word shares a wonderful insight: “St. Francis de Sales
taught that taking up one’s cross and following Jesus simply means accepting life as it comes to us. In this way we
imitate Jesus, who did not choose His cross but accepted the one prepared for Him. That’s easier said than done, I
know. But if we take time to unite ourselves to God in prayer each day, we will find God present even in life’s difficulties.
Divine wisdom will boost human wisdom so that God can prosper the work of our hands. Human planning will be
informed by the wisdom of God. Even a control freak can’t control everything and needs God’s guidance. So, pray as if
all depends upon God. It does. Live as if all depends upon you. It does. And take up your cross as Christ’s disciple.”
So I reflect on:
• I look and remember how prayer has helped me find God’s presence in my life difficulties and
challenges.
• When I look at carrying my cross, what has helped to lighten the weight? What has made the burden
greater? Do I experience God’s hand helping me?
• What am I willing or unwilling to sacrifice to be a disciple? What does this tell me?
Sacred Space 2016 shares:
• “‘Take up your cross daily?’ This sounds
manageable until we come to the details. For example, there is no perfect marriage. A good marriage demands huge
homework around compatibility and open communication. Marriage and children are nature’s schooling which selfgiving
is taught to us day after day.
• A celibate life can be considered to cost no less
than everything. The celibate renounces wealth, sex, and power. But in practice there is the danger of sliding into
comfort and selfishness. Lord, may we be guided by You and Your demanding standards. Give us the grace to be
faithful to the calling You have invited us to.”