Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 14: 25-43

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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Every parent can attest to the challenge of raising a child. Looking back, I’m sure you could all tell heroic stories of all-nighters, unexpected bills, endless chauffeuring, calming fears, and the heartbreak that comes when your child’s heart breaks.

If parents knew ahead of time the pain and sacrifice that parenting requires without also seeing the immeasurable joy it brings, then this world might be childless.

But any parent who’s sat at a graduation, walked your son or daughter down the aisle, or held your newborn grandchild in your arms can say, “It was worth it.”

All of the pain of parenting disappears when you see the bigger picture and watch your child succeed.

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You might say the same thing about renewing a parish. 

Witnessing the growth we’ve experienced as a community, seeing people discover or return to their faith, and the authentic joy of those participating in our faith formation program – both catechists and children alike – makes all of the hard work worth it.

The same dynamic is true with putting God first in our lives. Yes, it’s a hard decision. Yes, it requires sacrifice.  

But when God comes first, everything else comes together – marriages are strengthened, children have a lasting foundation, our hearts become filled with wisdom, joy, and peace. We’re even assured of life to come.

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In today’s Gospel, Luke says, “great crowds are traveling with Jesus.”

Luke gives the impression that there are many different types of people following the Lord – as is still the case today – those fully committed, those interested, and those that are just curious to see what all of the hype is about.

While on the journey to Jerusalem, Jesus stops, turns, and delivers a wake-up call, as if he’s breaking up the party to determine who’s really serious about following him versus who is not.

He might as well hold up a big sign with bold red letters: “Hard decisions ahead. Not for the faint of heart.”

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Everyone in the crowd wants to be associated with Jesus, certainly while he’s teaching, healing, and forgiving. But he warns them that the time will come when they have to choose between him and other people or priorities in their lives.

As he says in today’s Gospel, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother… even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Let’s not allow the meaning of this command to get lost in modern translation. Jesus never commands us to hate; rather, this verb means, “to choose one thing over another.” 

It’s an action, not an emotion.

There comes a time when we have to choose Christ over other people or things. Often, more than once.

It’s then – those moments of decision – when discipleship either becomes a deeper-rooted commitment, or a priority that gets wedged out by other good, albeit less important, things in life.

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Today we celebrate Catechetical Sunday, inaugurating another year of faith formation.

All of us are here today because, to some extent, we’ve already started doing what Christ has asked of us.

We’ve chosen to be here at Mass, as opposed to being at home, at work, on the sports field, at the grocery store, or wherever else life may have taken us. It’s not always an easy decision, but it’s one that we’ll be invited to make again.

Yet I can say this with certainty from my own experience – the more we put God first in our lives, the happier and more fulfilled we become.

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Perhaps these are the questions that Jesus is posing to us today: 

As families, are you ready to continue your journey with Christ? As catechists, are you willing to prioritize your ministry over other opportunities? As a parish, are we willing to support these children spiritually and financially as they grow in their faith?

I’m convinced of this: there is nothing more important in the Church today than handing on our faith to the next generation.

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It’s time to count the cost. It takes a village to raise a child in the faith.

Much like a man who builds a tower or a king who goes into battle, we must be willing to see our commitment through, lest we lose the battle or end up with a half-constructed faith life.

May God bless our efforts – and the year ahead – as we continue our journey together.

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Image credits: (1) Christianity.com (2) Crosswalk.com (3) Indian Currents

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Gospel: Luke 5:33-39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.”
Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days.”
And he also told them a parable.
“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, ‘The old is good.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Fermentation is the process that turns grape juice into wine. During fermentation, gas is released, causing the wineskins to expand, which is why new, stretchy wineskins must be used. Old skins would rip and tear, as Jesus describes in today’s Gospel.

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So, what is this “new wine” that the Lord is speaking of? Who are the “wine skins?”

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Most directly, the Lord is speaking to his Apostles. He longs to pour the “new wine” of his love into their hearts. However, divine love releases grace, causing the human heart to expand, which at times, can be uncomfortable.

If the Apostles are going to become who Jesus desires them to be, then they must make room for him, welcoming the “stretchiness” of the Spirit into their hearts.

While this stretching started occurring during their earthly journey with Jesus, their transformation was fulfilled at Pentecost. 

In that upper room, they were no longer the same fishermen who dropped their nets on the shores of Galilee three years prior, nor were they the same men who fled fearfully from Calvary.

They were bold; determined; convinced; ready to do the Lord’s will.

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The Church still needs this type of renewal – or stretching – today as it’s called to make room for all, both the sinner and the saint.

We, too, need to be occasionally stretched. How often do our own attitudes, habits, or theology become old; rigid; in need of a renewal?

God will not force any change upon us, certainly anything we are capable of doing ourselves; the Spirit of Love conquers gently. Never by force. As Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “grace builds upon nature.”

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In what ways might the wine of Christ’s love stretch my heart?

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In the words of Saint Paul, “May the God who has begun this good work within you bring it to fulfillment.” 

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Image credits: (1) Bible Study Tools (2) London Wine Competition (3) Living Word Ministries

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Luke 5: 1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Depart from me, LORD, for I am a sinful man.”

There’s always been a tender spot in my heart that is pricked when I read Peter’s words, because I identify with them. I know my weaknesses; I know my fears; I know the temptations that tug at my flesh, which can change over time. 

Although I long to be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect, my heart remains a work in progress. 

So, I empathize with Peter’s humble protest, “Depart from me, LORD.”

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And yet, where is Jesus going to go?

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He and Peter are floating in the middle of the Sea of Galilee with a net full of fish. If Jesus took Peter’s words literally, then he’d have to either sink into the sea … or walk on it. 

I doubt Peter had either in mind.

Rather, in this heightened state of humility, Peter is ready to listen. His resistance is softened. His guard is down. Why did Jesus really get into his boat? Why has Peter been chosen? What, exactly, is it that Jesus wants him to do?

“I will make you a fisher of men,” he says.

Peter cannot fully grasp what this means. But he’s willing to accept the call. Jesus’ description of his future as being a “fisher of men” implies that he will not sever Peter from the work he loves; nor will his skills be underutilized.

Rather, Jesus will transform Peter into a greater version of himself. All of the experience he’s accumulated on the waters of Galilee will aid him in his future.

So, Peter drops his guard, his nets, and his own plans, allowing the adventure with Jesus to begin.

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Sometimes we need to be reminded that, like Peter, God has a plan for each of us.

But it can only be revealed while we are in a state of humility – our hearts opened, our ears bent, our spirit ready to respond.

May we live this day saying not, “depart from me, LORD, “ but in the spirit of the prophet Samuel, who said, “Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.”

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Image credits: (1) emeryhorvath.com (2) Saint John’s Seminary (3) Adobe Stock