Luke 14:25-33

Wisdom 9:13-18b

Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

Philemon 9-10, 12-17

Luke 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,

and he turned and addressed them,

“If anyone 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,

anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions

cannot be my disciple.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, bring me along the right path with the guidance of your Holy Spirit. I pray that my heart may be docile to the movements and inspirations of the Spirit. I need your wisdom to judge things rightly.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Planning to Attain our Ultimate Goal: Jesus was on his final journey to Jerusalem, and great crowds were traveling with him. He addressed the people and gave three conditions for discipleship. First, Jesus demanded a commitment from his disciples greater than one’s attachment to family members. Second, a disciple of Jesus must carry his own cross. This means embracing suffering, sacrifice, and self-denial. Third, a disciple must renounce all their possessions. We must relinquish attachment to material possessions and personal ambitions and prioritize the Kingdom of God over worldly wealth and security. Jesus then tells two parables – one about building a tower and one about a king going to war – to flesh out these three conditions. We need to count the cost of discipleship and be fully committed. Each parable illustrates the need for preparation and assessment to ensure that we can complete the demanding journey of discipleship. We need to understand the sacrifices involved and whether or not we are willing to pay the full price of following Jesus. The second parable highlights how victory in our spiritual battles involves prudently overcoming obstacles like temptation, persecution, and worldly attachments.

2. Divine Wisdom: The First Reading speaks about how difficult it is to attain wisdom. We struggle to discern God’s plan and are often unsure about our own plans. “Our physical needs and appetites confuse and cloud our thinking because we are strongly motivated to reason to conclusions that allow us to satisfy our bodies, rather than to conclusions that are strictly true. In humility, the sage acknowledges that the attainment of truth about ultimate reality is really a superhuman effort. It is something beyond our strength, truly a miracle. Without the help of God, we would all but despair of coming to the truth about the reality of things.” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Year C, 395-396). The reading ends by highlighting how true wisdom is gifted to us through the sending of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual gift of wisdom guides us along straight paths and helps us judge earthly things rightly: “And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight” (Wisdom 9:18).

3. Paul’s Letter to Philemon and the Jubilee: The Letter of Paul to Philemon is a heartfelt plea to Philemon for him to welcome back his runaway slave, Onesimus, as a brother in Christ. This year, we celebrate the Jubilee, and the Letter of Philemon, by asking for the forgiveness and release of Onesimus from servitude has a deep Jubilee theme. Every 49-50 years, the people of Israel were to hold a Jubilee Year and release any slaves, forgive any debts, and return ancestral land to those who were forced to sell it. These three types of forgiveness are symbolic of the spiritual forgiveness of the debt of our sin. In the Church, we don’t have to wait every fifty years for this. We live in a state of perpetual Jubilee and can be released from the debt of our sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Celebrating the Jubilee every 25 years in the Church is meant to emphasize a time of grace and mercy. In his letter, Paul implies that Philemon has much to be thankful for, having received much from Paul himself. This should move our hearts: we have been forgiven much by God through his Son, Jesus Christ. How much more should we be ready to forgive our brothers and sisters and help those in need?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, enlighten my mind to count the cost of being your disciple. Do not let me be overwhelmed by any suffering or trials ahead. I need to be confident in your grace and power. As well, do not let me be blind to the dangers ahead. Grant me true humility to know my strengths and weaknesses and how to trust more deeply in the Father’s care.

Living the Word of God: Earlier in the week, on Monday, we reflected on how we have lived the Jubilee Year up to this point and whether or not we needed to go to confession. What did I propose to do on Monday? What Jubilee indulgences did I seek to gain this week? Is there anyone I need to forgive?