23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom 9:13-18b, Philemon 9-10, 12-17, Luke 14: 25-33

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

 

On this Twenty-third Sunday of ordinary time, the church celebrates the spirit of commitment and self-sacrifice of Christ. The spirit of self-sacrifice motivates one do the unimaginable. It was this spirit that made Jesus give up everything, including his own life for our sake. So, through this same spirit, we can become true disciples of Christ.

First reading is part of Solomon’s prayer for wisdom. God, the Creator of the Universe, is all-wise. In contrast, human beings are ignorant. However, God does not leave us in our ignorance, but bestows the gift of wisdom on all who humbly seek it.

In the second reading, Paul sent back Onesimus to Philemon in the spirit of sacrifice. Although Paul needed Onesimus and had every right to retain him, he allowed him to return to his former master Philemon who equally needed him. Philemon also had to sacrifice something. He has to drop all his misgiving against Onesimus. So, he was admonished to receive Onesimus as a brother rather than as a slave.

Hence, Paul teaches us that we can equally sacrifice our own comfort in order to restore that of others. Also, we must be ready to make some sacrifices in order to repair and restore relationships. There is nothing we cannot sacrifice for the sake of God and humanity.

“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?” Luke 14:28

Are you prepared for all that the Lord wants of you?  This short rhetorical question above is Jesus’ way of saying that you ought to be prepared.  If you were to build a tower you would hopefully be prudent enough to plan ahead, making sure you had enough resources for its completion.  So, it is with the spiritual life.  It is essential that we make sure we have all the resources we need to make the choice to follow Christ.

This raises the question, “What resources do I need to follow Christ?”  The answer is simple.  Jesus says at the end of this Gospel, “In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).  In other words, if we want to have all that we need to fulfill the will of God in our lives, we must surrender everything to God.

Being a disciple of Christ is not something we can do halfheartedly, even though there are many who attempt this.  When we choose to follow Him, it must be wholehearted.  We must be “all in,” so to speak.  Otherwise, we will never be able to accomplish all that our Lord asks of us.  He is a demanding God in the sense that He wants everything from us.  But this demand on the part of our Lord is completely for our own good.  We need to give Him everything if we want happiness and fulfillment in life.

How ready and willing you are to give every last part of your life to Christ?  Are you willing to say “Yes” to Him no matter what?  Are you willing to hold nothing back and “renounce all your possessions” if He were to ask?  You may possess many things, and even though our Lord may not call you to give up all possessions in a literal and physical way, you must still surrender everything you have and everything you are to Him.  Only then can He give you what you need to accomplish His most glorious will.

Lord, my life is Yours.  Please give me the grace to surrender everything that makes up my life to You without reserve.  I surrender to You my life, my finances, my possessions, my family, my labors and my entire future.  All is Yours, dear Lord.  Do with me what You will.

Peace and all good!

Fr. Valery Burusu

Parochial Administrator