Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 6, 2019
Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
“Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.
“So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”
There is nothing a disciple may own if that person is to follow Christ. What a bewildering, even disturbing, message from our Lord. Taking up the cross of discipleship demands that we give up everything else.
I live in a town with beautiful flowers that line the streets; I live in a house with a beautiful baby. When I go on walks in town, every so often a flower grabs my eye—the smooth petals balancing atop a thin, green stem. All too often, I pick the flower, breaking some sort of city ordinance, I’m sure. Carrying it to my office, I put it in a vase to enjoy it while I work. But picked flowers always droop and wither: a picked flower is a dying flower.
And I love that beautiful baby in my home so much it shocks me!
In this Gospel, Jesus urges us to recall that all is gift. Flowers, the objects in our houses, the homes themselves, our families and friends, even our very lives—all is a gift from God. The way of the cross demands, however, that we possess none of these gifts. Discipleship requires that we live amongst our gifts without caving to our desires to own and control them.
The wild freedom entrusted to us by a liberating God carries with it the terrifying realization that all other life is free as well. The flower is free to grow, and the baby is free to love or not love. To own the flower is to kill it. To possess the love of anyone we care for is simply impossible.
“None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions,” Jesus tells us. This Gospel is good news, and if this strikes us as scary, we must mold our lives so that these words resound with our lifestyle. Discipleship is freedom, which means we must be willing to trust God instead of the things we gather, and allow others to be free to love.
The Christian life is the way of surrender and faithfulness in God, which is liberating because God provides for our every need. Though we walk the way of the cross, it is marked by love, beauty, and flowers.
Prayer
Christ our King, you know well that our spirits are willing to follow you, but we are often overwhelmed by other desires. In your great love, send your Holy Spirit to drive out all that separates us from obeying your will. May we always see in you the way, the truth, and the life that leads to heaven. Give us the courage to help lead our brothers and sisters to eternal happiness with you. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today, the Church in Ireland celebrates the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland. This is something of a regional version of All Saints Day, honoring the many saints and scholars of Ireland. It is a reminder to us of a rich heritage of Catholic faith that is rooted in Ireland, that grew across the sea with the many Irish immigrants who traveled here, and has blossomed in the American Church.
The official litany used in the Irish liturgy for this feast concludes with a prayer asking God for an increase in grace to all of “us who celebrate the memory of all the saints of our island.” Just as on earth, the Irish people rejoiced to “be one with them in race, so in heaven, may we deserve to share with them an inheritance of bliss.”
This stained glass image of St. Patrick stands in a reading room in the Hesburgh Library. Other great Irish saints whose stories have been told here include St. Brigid of Kildare, St. Laurence O’Toole, Patrick's driver, St. Odran, St. Kieren of Saighir, St. Angus the Culdee, the great explorer St. Brendan, and St. Columba.
Ireland has a particularly privileged place at the University of Notre Dame, and the University has important ministries in Ireland, including Teach Bhríde and the Newman Centre for Faith and Reason. Let us pray with the saints of Ireland today for their intercession for their country, which has such a special relationship with our University.
All the Saints of Ireland, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!