Word to the Wise
Monday, July 11, 2016 - Monday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Isa 1:10-17 and Matt 10:34-11:1]"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." [Matthew]
JULY 11 ST. BENEDICT [abbot]
If one reads the whole of chapter ten of the Gospel of Matthew, one might wonder how discipleship is possible! The demands are quite considerable and not simply an initial training program but meant as a life-long effort. The priority is a simple one: Jesus comes first and everyone and everything else is secondary. I know of some folks who give an intense effort for a brief period but, like the seed that flourishes until the thorns start to grow around it, they weaken and change priorities.
I remember well entering the novitiate of my religious order, the Dominicans, in August 1964. I did not see myself as abandoning my family, but I did see that I had to focus as a matter of faith on what I perceived to be a call to do this. True to the gospel promise, I wound up with not just my own kin as family, but a large network of friends and "families" that I belong to. However, this would not have been possible without that initial decision to brave whatever was necessary. The old hymn puts it well: "I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back."
This is just my own story but it is the story of billions of people. That is why Christianity is as large a reality as it is. St. Benedict's decision to leave everything and create monasteries in the midst of the decline and fall of the Roman empire has had an incredible impact on human history in Western civilization. His "Rule" is an example of priorities being set and lived according to the gospel. i recommend reading it. I also recommend taking a few moments to do a "history of discipleship" in one's life. What kinds of decisions have we made in faith that would characterize us as disciples? As an old poster put it: "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" AMEN
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