GOSPEL: Luke 9:51-62
Dear friends, the word of the Lord reminds us of the demands of authentic Christian discipleship. A call to be totally committed to Christ. Without “Looking back,” we must freely “slaughter” all the forces, distractions, and obstacles that prevent us from following and serving God.
In first Kings 19:16b, 19-21, Elisha was plowing the field when Elijah came to anoint him. Aware that he was called to follow the prophet, Elisha asked to bid farewell to his parents. But then he made a clean and definitive break with his past there and then. He slaughtered the oxen, shared a meal with his servants and then left everything to follow Elijah. It was the leap of faith, the radical commitment, the courage to stake everything on the dream God had for him that we can learn from Elisha.
Like Elisha, Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey of total commitment, undivided loyalty, the single-mindedness and the unmitigated dedication with which the disciples of Jesus Christ are to build God’s kingdom. Following the Lord Jesus means allowing Him to change every aspect of our lives so that we more clearly reflect His way of living, of thinking and of being. We must keep on walking and letting the Lord lead and form us.
For Pope Francis, discipleship has little to do with security, comfort, complacency and mediocrity. The Pope challenges us to go to the margins, to stay close to those on the edges of life and to be that church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets and immersed in the coalface realities. A church that dares to do what Jesus did: to be all that it can be for the sake of others. As true believers, we should endeavor to persevere in goodness, in love (CARITAS), in friendship, in solidarity with the oppressed, the asylum seekers, the prisoners, the homeless… and in all that is life giving for others.
Let us pray that we have the courage, the generosity and the humility to respond to the call of Christian discipleship, to stake everything on the plan God has for us as individuals and as a community. May we follow Christ in the nurturing and realizing of God’s reign of love and justice, even in the midst of doubt and uncertainty.
God Bless,
Rev. Father Frank Kyazze
