Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

Commentary of the day
Saint Josémaria Escriva de Balaguer (1902-1975), priest, founder
Homily of 01/02/1960 in Amigos de Dios, ch. 4, pts. 65-66

Building a tower

I used to enjoy climbing up the cathedral towers at Burgos [with some young people] to get a close view of the ornamentation at the top, a veritable lacework of stone that must have been the result of very patient and laborious craftsmanship. As I chatted with the young men who accompanied me I used to point out that none of the beauty of this work could be seen from below. To give them a material lesson... I would say: “This is God's work, this is working for God! To finish your personal work perfectly, with all the beauty and exquisite refinement of this tracery stonework.” Seeing it, my companions would understand that all the work we had seen was a prayer, a loving dialogue with God. The men who spent their energies there were quite aware that no one at street level could appreciate their efforts. Their work was for God alone...

'Since we are convinced that God is to be found everywhere, we plow our fields praising the Lord, we sail the seas and ply all our other trades singing his mercies. Doing things this way we are united to God at every moment... But don't forget that you are also in the presence of men, and that they expect from you, from you personally, a Christian witness.

Thus, as regards the human aspect of our job, we must work in such a way that we will not feel ashamed when those who know us and love us see us at our work, nor give them cause to feel embarrassed... You will not be like the man in the parable who set out to build a tower: “When he had laid the foundations and was unable to finish, all who beheld him began to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.” Believe me. If you don't lose your supernatural outlook, you will crown your work. You will finish your cathedral to the very last stone.

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY LUKE 14:25-33

Putting God first

Fr. Jack Peterson, YA

Jesus is not a fan of hatred. In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you…” (Mt 6: 43-44). Yet this admonition seems, at least on the surface, to contradict today's Gospel in which Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sister, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

Our Lord is using exaggeration, a common literary and written form of expression, to make a very important point. Jesus does not, indeed, desire hatred for family or anyone else. Rather, He desires that we love God above everything and everyone else in our lives. Jesus desires that we love Him with every fiber of our being and that we seek the will of the Father above our own.

Our Lord knows that this exhortation to His followers is a difficult one. This desired passion for God can cause tension with some who are dear to us. It can even cause serious division in some instances. Our Lord does not desire this division; but, nor does He want us to compromise on important elements of our faith, especially it's social and moral teachings, in order to fit in.

Jesus does not want us to shove our values in the face of others or beat them over the head with our beliefs. He does not ask us to look down with arrogance upon others who are struggling to follow the Gospel way of life. He does ask us to live our faith humbly, generously and authentically. And He asks us to be strong in the face of opposition. This balance is not always easy to manage.

The conversion of St. Francis of Assisi comes quickly to mind. Soon after he began to embrace his faith on a deeper level, tensions arose with his father, Pietro di Bernardone. Francis was spending time in prayer and with lepers and not assisting very much with the family business. Young Francis was even selling his father's fine linens and giving the proceeds to the poor and to a local priest toward the restoration of an old, dilapidated chapel.

The father of Francis was so angered by his son's new life and unapproved generosity with the family money that he asked for a public meeting to be held in the presence of the bishop. At this meeting, Pietro outlined his complaints to those present, including the bishop. Francis dramatically responded by handing his father what was left of his money, as well as the clothes off his back. “Hereafter, I shall not say Father Pietro di Bernardone, but Our Father who art in heaven!" Clearly, Francis’ zeal for the Lord and radical new way of life caused significant division in his family.

Today’s Gospel passage also calls to mind a moment some years ago in the life of a student in one of our Youth Apostle ministries. This student came regularly to youth group, got excited about exploring a deeper relationship with Jesus, and found solace in new friendships that were rooted in the faith and in solid Christian values. She grew in her appreciation of the sacraments and opportunities for service to the needy. Consequently, this young woman determined the need to change some of her behaviors and some of the events that she participated in on the weekends. This caused serious friction in her relationships with several friends. In the end, she made the decision to avoid certain activities and certain conversations because they were harmful to her new life. She worked hard to maintain those friendships at school without being judgmental. She also invested more time and energy into those new relationships that genuinely encouraged her and nurtured her growth in faith. Sometimes, zeal for Jesus causes tension and division in our lives.

Today’s Gospel invites us to pray this week for the grace to give God primacy of place in our hearts. It demands that our growth in faith includes a corresponding growth in humility. It challenges us to stand up for our Lord and for the Gospel way of life He laid out for us, especially its high moral standards, even when doing so causes friction in our relationships.

Fr. Peterson is currently on sabbatical in Rome.

http://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=85

Year C - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Whoever does not carry his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:25-33
25 And there went great multitudes with him. And turning, he said to them:
26 If any man comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whoever does not carry his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you having a mind to build a tower, does not first sit down, and reckon the charges that are necessary, whether he has resources to finish it:
29 Lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able ti finish it, all that see it begin to mock him,
30 Saying: This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, about to go to make war against another king, does not first sit down, and think whether he will be able, with ten thousand, to meet him that, with twenty thousand, comes against him?
32 Or else, while the other is yet far away, sending an embassy, he desires conditions of peace.
33 So likewise every one of you that does not renounce all that he possesses, cannot be my disciple.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
What I keep saying in my word is this: I am offering unimaginable riches and glory, a life that surpasses the highest desires of man, a freedom beyond compare, a joy that never ceases and immortality combined with all the perfections of my divinity. If you want to take up my offer, you must understand that everything has a price. A cheap reward is offered for a mediocre effort, but the reward that I offer can only be attained through a life in my word. Those who reject my word will have eternal disappointment.

The wise man is prepared to make sacrifices in order to obtain the good things of life; discipline is required in combination with perseverance. The fool is always complaining of his bad fortune but he does not make any efforts to succeed.

The greatest attachment of man is his own self, his own opinion and his own image. He adorns his life with material possessions, with the love of creatures and with all the evils of his self-love. Unless you are prepared to leave everything behind, you may not enter heaven; you see, I have opened the door but you can not enter easily, you must die first and become spirit, therefore you won’t be able to carry any material possessions, you will have to dispossess yourself of all personal attachments and loves and your love must be centred in God only.

I have given you father and mother, brothers and sisters, and other people to be your friends, those who will love you and those that you will love. I have given you lots of material things to help you in your journey but nothing or no one of this world should receive more love than your creator. Therefore be happy and enjoy the things of creation, enjoy the love of your family and friends but remember my commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength. Do not adulterate this love by loving yourself and others more than Me; I must be your greatest love.

And do not despise my cross because that was my throne on earth, where together with my crown of sufferings I endured incomparable pains as the price of your salvation. I give everyone a share of suffering, a little splinter of my cross so that you may be purified through suffering of your pride and disobedience.

You know now the price you must pay for Heaven, you know something about the great rewards that await you. Be wise and persevere in your work, I am tracing you the way, just follow me.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Archdiocese of Washington

Four Depictions of Discipleship – A Homily for the 23rd Sunday of the Year

Msgr. Charles Pope • September 3, 2016 •

In today’s Gospel Jesus defines four Demands of discipleship. We can look at them one by one.

I. The CONTEXT of the discipleship. The text says that large crowds were following Jesus and so he turned to address them. Just about any time you find a mention of a large crowd fasten your seat belts and prepare for a hard teaching. Jesus didn’t trust the big crowds who were often out for the goodies. They were looking for miracles, multiplied and free bread, physical healings and a fiery sermon.

So upon sensing a large crowd the texts says, rather provocatively, that Jesus turned to address them. He then gives a series of “hard sayings” which seem almost designed to thin the ranks and to distinguish true disciples from the “lip service” crowd.

We will see in a moment what he says. But let’s take a moment and examine other incidents where the gospels demonstrate Jesus’ tendency to distrust big crowds:

Matt 7:13 Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Matt 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Luke 6:26 Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

There is also the tendency in the gospels for the mentioning of a large crowd to be followed by a “hard saying:”

Matt 19: 1-6 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (cf also Mark 10)
Luke 11:29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
Luke 14:26-27 (Today’s Gospel) Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
John 6: 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick….and He said to them, I am the living bread come down from heaven…..the crowds murmured.

So, the CONTEXT of discipleship is not usually with the crowd. Though many are called, indeed all are called, only few make the cut and become true disciples. There is a kind of remnant theology at work here, to be sure. But it is a common pattern that Jesus thins the ranks and distinguishes the many who are called from the few who are chosen.

This is a fact not only in the Scriptures but it also remains true that the Lord has often had to prune his Church. Even now we are seeing a large falling away, a kind of pruning as large numbers depart who are not able to take the “hard sayings” of Jesus and the Scriptures about sexuality, forgiveness, love of one’s enemies, heroic charity and generosity, and so forth. The CONTEXT of discipleship is with the few, rather than the many.

This insight about the context not usually being the crowd is also important, because there are many today who have a mentality that argues that the Church should “get with the times,” that the Church should listen to the people, and give them what they want, that the Church should reflect the views of the faithful. But this is not the job of the Church. The role of the Church is not to reflect the views of its members as if it were some political party. Rather, the role of the Church is to reflect the views of its Founder, Jesus Christ who handed on his teachings through the apostles and evangelists. More often than not, these teachings will not be in simple lockstep with what the crowd says, what is popular, or what is current.

The context of discipleship is often at odds with the great crowds and this we see, when Jesus turns on them. The first reading today reminds us: For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty (Wisdom 9:13-16)

II. The CENTRALITY of the discipleship. Jesus indicates that we can prefer or love no one more than him if we are going to be his disciples. This extends even to our family relationships: 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.

Now “hate” here does mean that we are to have contempt for others or nourish unrighteous anger toward them. What we are dealing with here is a Jewish idiom. The Hebrew language, for some reason, has very few comparative words such as: more, less, greater, fewer, and so forth. Hence in ancient Hebrew if one were to prefer vanilla ice cream to chocolate one would often say, “I love vanilla but hate chocolate.” But what “hate” means here in context is that I “prefer” vanilla, not that I literally hate chocolate.

So, what Jesus means is that we cannot prefer anyone or anything to Him. He’s first, he’s number one. Jesus says, I must have absolute priority over the closest human relationships in your life.

If there’s anyone in your life that can talk you out of obeying God, forget ‘em! Anyone who keeps you away from God has too much power. Anyone who can keep you from your Christian walk has too much power. Anyone who can pull you into unrighteousness has too much power.

So if the boss instructs us to do something immoral – sorry boss. If the accountant or lawyers advise saving money by paying unjust wages or cutting necessary benefits – sorry boys. A boyfriend pressures his girl friend to have sex – sorry dear. Peers pressure to use drugs or abuse alcohol, skip school, or steal – sorry buddies. A spouse calls his or her mate away from teaching the children the ways of faith. – sorry honey. A child pressures a parent to that which is unwise or wrong. – sorry child of mine.

So, do you get it? No one is to have priority of Jesus Christ and what he teaches. The word “hate” here may not be literal but on second thought, if Jesus really does have priority in our life it may cause some to say, “You’re so devoted to him, I think you hate me!”

We need to attend to this since too many of our human relationships cause us to sinfully compromise our walk with Jesus. Some people have too much power, a power that belongs to the Lord.

III. The CROSS of discipleship. Jesus says, Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So if we want to be a disciple we must be willing to carry the cross.

Now the cross comes in many forms, but in the end, to be a disciple does not mean we are in any way exempt from the troubles and trials of this world. Jesus indicates that we will be hated by the word (cf Jn 15:20), persecuted and sorely tempted by this world. But if we hold out, victory will be ours.

It is a simple rule: No cross, No crown. There are some who want to preach a prosperity gospel. There are others who demand a gospel stripped of its moral imperatives. Still others demand an updated faith that tickles their ears and affirms their aberrant behavior.

But Jesus points to the Cross, not to torture us, but because it is the only way to glory. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Now, for a little while you may have to suffer various trials…(1 Peter 1:6). And this wisdom is already evident, when we consider that even in this world, all of what we most value, Family, talents, career, achievements, all came at the cost of sacrifice. Sacrifices bring blessings. Jesus is not into pain for its own sake, but because sacrifice brings blessings.

IV. The COST of discipleship – And thus Jesus continues: 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.

Jesus asks us to count the cost of what he is teaching here. Discipleship is costly. Jesus gives the image of someone building a tower or of a king going to battle. But, truth be told, these examples are distant from us. So Jesus brings it home and says to us: anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

The Greek word ἀποτάσσω (apotasso) translated here as “renounce” also means, “to say farewell.” And the Lord is reminding us that heaven costs everything. Ultimately we must say farewell to everyone and everything we consider precious here in order to inherit heaven. This of course is not something that waits merely for death.

At one level, we give back everything to God as we go, little by little. We have all given back loved ones. Perhaps too we have given back youthful figures, strength, good health, and so forth. Ultimately we will give it all back.

But at another level the Lord is clear to say here that we must be willing to part with anything that hinders discipleship now, not later. The fact is that many things attach us to this world and make discipleship difficult. Are we willing to de-clutter our life, simplify and get more focused on being disciples? Or will we go on setting down roots here and amassing a worldly kingdom?

What’s it going to be, the world or the Kingdom? Count the cost. See what it really means to be a disciple and what it cost, then decide. In the end, heaven costs everything. But you’re going to lose it all anyway. It is a wise man who gives away what he cannot keep to gain what he could never buy.

What Jesus is looking for are disciples who, having counted the cost and realistically assessed it, are ready, nonetheless, to be his disciples. Tag-alongs, lip service Christians, fair weather folks, need not apply. So today Jesus is looking at a big crowd and teaches in a way that is meant to distinguish true disciples from the “lip service” disciples. We are asked to ponder in which category we most truthfully belong.

Sunday Gospel Reflections

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Wisdome 9:13-18b II: Philemon 9b-10,12-17

Gospel
Lk 14:25-33

²⁵ Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them,
²⁶ "If any one 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.
²⁷ Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
²⁸ 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?
²⁹ Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him
³⁰ and say, 'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
³¹ 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?
³² But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
³³ In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

Interesting Details

(v.25) In the preceding parable (16-24), several guests were invited to a banquet but all found excuses for not coming. Having told this parable of rejection to the leaders in which an overinvolvement with possessions and relationships closes those invited to the call of God, Luke has Jesus "turned and addressed" to the great crowds and repeat the same warning for those who would wish to follow Him.
(v.26) "Hate" is harsh. It has been suggested that the original Aramaic meant simply "love less than". It denotes an attitude - turning away from; and mode of action - detach oneself from, not emotion.
(v.27) "Carry his own cross". Again, this command must be taken in context. It does not mean that all true disciples must be martyrs in the literal sense.
(v.28) The costs are indeed staggering. God undertook the plan of salvation at the cost of the beloved Son's life (Rom 8:32); and Jesus, determined to journey to Jerusalem (9:51) to lay down His life. Neither God, nor Jesus asks of disciples anything that they themselves were not prepared to do.

One Main Point

Jesus challenges us to take up the demands of discipleship. It demands everything we are and everything we have.

Reflections

What are the costs of discipleship in my case? What possessions and relationships do I need to forgo? What to foster?
To the extent that I have been able to follow Christ, what results have I experienced? To the extent that I have shied away from following Christ, what have been the results?
What concrete steps do I plan for my life: staying the current course, or making specific changes? How will I be able to do it?

'She was full of faith, and yet all her life long she had been tormented by thoughts against it. Nor did she once relax in the fidelity God asked of her. And so I regard her as one of the holiest souls I have ever met on this earth.'

St. Vincent de Paul, of St. Jeanne Frances de Chantal

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Information: St. Boniface I

Feast Day: September 4

Died: September 4, 422

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Rose of Viterbo

Feast Day: September 4
Born: 1235 :: Died: 1252

Rose was born in Viterbo, in Italy. During that time Emperor Frederick had conquered land that belonged to the Church. Rose's special mission as a teenager was to make the people of her own city and nearby cities remain faithful to the Holy Father the Pope. And this she did very well.

In fact, when she was eight years old, Rose was quite sick and our Blessed Mother appeared to her and told her that she should wear the habit (uniform) of St. Francis.

Our Lady also told Rose to set a good example by her words and actions. Slowly Rose became strong and healthy again. She began to think more and more about how much Jesus suffered for us and how much we had hurt him because of our sins. She prayed and made sacrifices to show Jesus how much she loved him.

Later on, this brave girl began to preach in the streets of the city. She told people not to agree the emperor who had taken land from the Church.

So many people listened to her advice that Rose's father became frightened. He told her he would beat her if she did not stop preaching. She was only thirteen years old, but she answered gently, "If Jesus was willing to be beaten for me, I can be beaten for him. I must do what Jesus has told me to do, and I will not disobey him."

For two more years Rose preached with such success that the enemies of the pope wanted to kill her. In the end, the emperor sent Rose and her parents out of the city. But Rose said that the emperor was going to die soon and that is exactly what happened.

When they returned to Viterbo, Rose was not allowed to become a nun, so she returned to her own home. There she died in 1252, when she was only seventeen. Even today, her body is preserved and venerated in Viterbo.

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 14
25.	And there went great multitudes with him. And turning, he said to them:	Ibant autem turbæ multæ cum eo : et conversus dixit ad illos :	συνεπορευοντο δε αυτω οχλοι πολλοι και στραφεις ειπεν προς αυτους
26.	If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.	Si quis venit ad me, et non odit patrem suum, et matrem, et uxorem, et filios, et fratres, et sorores, adhuc autem et animam suam, non potest meus esse discipulus.	ει τις ερχεται προς με και ου μισει τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και την γυναικα και τα τεκνα και τους αδελφους και τας αδελφας ετι δε και την εαυτου ψυχην ου δυναται μου μαθητης ειναι
27.	And whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.	Et qui non bajulat crucem suam, et venit post me, non potest meus esse discipulus.	και οστις ου βασταζει τον σταυρον αυτου και ερχεται οπισω μου ου δυναται ειναι μου μαθητης
28.	For which of you having a mind to build a tower, doth not first sit down, and reckon the charges that are necessary, whether he have wherewithal to finish it:	Quis enim ex vobis volens turrim ædificare, non prius sedens computat sumptus, qui necessarii sunt, si habeat ad perficiendum,	τις γαρ εξ υμων ο θελων πυργον οικοδομησαι ουχι πρωτον καθισας ψηφιζει την δαπανην ει εχει τα εις απαρτισμον
29.	Lest, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able ti finish it, all that see it begin to mock him,	ne, posteaquam posuerit fundamentum, et non potuerit perficere, omnes qui vident, incipiant illudere ei,	ινα μηποτε θεντος αυτου θεμελιον και μη ισχυοντος εκτελεσαι παντες οι θεωρουντες αρξωνται εμπαιζειν αυτω
30.	Saying: This man began to build, and was not able to finish.	dicentes : Quia hic homo cœpit ædificare, et non potuit consummare ?	λεγοντες οτι ουτος ο ανθρωπος ηρξατο οικοδομειν και ουκ ισχυσεν εκτελεσαι
31.	Or what king, about to go to make war against another king, doth not first sit down, and think whether he be able, with ten thousand, to meet him that, with twenty thousand, cometh against him?	Aut quis rex iturus committere bellum adversus alium regem, non sedens prius cogitat, si possit cum decem millibus occurrere ei, qui cum viginti millibus venit ad se ?	η τις βασιλευς πορευομενος συμβαλειν ετερω βασιλει εις πολεμον ουχι καθισας πρωτον βουλευεται ει δυνατος εστιν εν δεκα χιλιασιν απαντησαι τω μετα εικοσι χιλιαδων ερχομενω επ αυτον
32.	Or else, whilst the other is yet afar off, sending an embassy, he desireth conditions of peace.	Alioquin adhuc illo longe agente, legationem mittens rogat ea quæ pacis sunt.	ει δε μηγε ετι πορρω αυτου οντος πρεσβειαν αποστειλας ερωτα τα προς ειρηνην
33.	So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple.	Sic ergo omnis ex vobis, qui non renuntiat omnibus quæ possidet, non potest meus esse discipulus.	ουτως ουν πας εξ υμων ος ουκ αποτασσεται πασιν τοις εαυτου υπαρχουσιν ου δυναται μου ειναι μαθητης

25. And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said to them,
26. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

GREG. The mind is kindled, when it hears of heavenly rewards, and already desires to be there, where it hopes to enjoy them without ceasing; but great rewards cannot be reached except by great labors. Therefore it is said, And there went great multitudes to him: and he turned to them, and said, &c.

THEOPHYL. For because many of those that accompanied Him followed not with their whole heart, but lukewarmly, He shows what kind of a man his disciple ought to be.

GREG. But it may be asked, how are we bid to hate our parents and our relations in the flesh, who are commanded to love even our enemies? But if we weigh the force of the command we are able to do both, by rightly distinguishing them so as both to love those who are united to us by the bond of the flesh, and whom we acknowledge our relations, and by hating and avoiding not to know those whom we find our enemies in the way of God. For he is as it were loved by hatred, who in his carnal wisdom, pouring into our ears his evil sayings, is not heard.

AMBROSE; For if for your sake the Lord renounces His own mother, saying, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? why do you deserve to be preferred to your Lord? But the Lord will have us neither be ignorant of nature, nor be her slaves, but so to submit to nature, that we reverence the Author of nature, and depart not from God out of love to our parents.

GREG. Now to show that this hatred towards relations proceeds not from inclination or passion, but from love, our Lord adds, yes, and his own life also. It is plain therefore that a man ought to hate his neighbor, by loving as himself him who hated him. For then we rightly hate our own soul when we indulge not its carnal desires, when we subdue its appetites, and wrestle against its pleasures. That which by being despised is brought to a better condition, is as it were loved by hatred.

CYRIL; But life must not be renounced, which both in the body and the soul the blessed Paul also preserved, that yet living in the body he might preach Christ. But when it was necessary to despise life so that he might. finish his course, he counts not his life dear to him.

GREG. How the hatred of life ought to be strewn He declares as follows; Whosoever bears not his cross, &c.

CHRYS. He means not that we should place a beam of wood on our shoulders, but that we should ever have death before our eyes. As also Paul died daily and despised death.

BASIL; By bearing the cross also he announced the death of his Lord, saying, The world is crucified to me, and I to the world, which we also anticipate at our very baptism, in which our old man is crucified, that the body of sin may be destroyed.

GREG. Or because the cross is so called from torturing. In two ways we bear our Lord's cross, either when by abstinence we afflict our bodies, or when through compassion of our neighbor we think all his necessities our own. But because some exercise abstinence of the flesh not for God's sake but for vain-glory, and show compassion, not spiritually but carnally, it is rightly added, And comes after me. For to bear His cross and come after the Lord, is to use abstinence of the flesh, or compassion to our neighbor, from the desire of an eternal gain.

28. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29. Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30. Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?
32. Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an ambassage, and desires conditions of peace.
33. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.

GREG. Because He had been giving high and lofty precepts, immediately follows the comparison of building a tower, when it is said, For which of you intending to build a tower does not first count &c. For every thing that we do should be preceded by anxious consideration. If then we desire to build a tower of humility, we ought first to brace ourselves against the ills of this world.

BASIL; Or the tower is a lofty watch-tower fitted for the guardianship of the city and the discovery of the enemy's approach. In like manner was our understanding given us to preserve the good, to guard against the evil. For the building up whereof the Lord bids us sit down and count our means if we have sufficient to finish.

GREG. NYSS. For we must be ever pressing onward that we may reach the end of each difficult undertaking by successive increases of the commandments of God, and so to the completion of the divine work. For neither is one stone the whole fabric of the tower, nor does a single command lead to the perfection of the soul. But we must lay the foundation, and according to the Apostle, thereupon must be placed store of gold, silver, and precious stones. Whence it is added, Lest haply after he has laid the foundation, &c.

THEOPHYL. For we ought not to lay a foundation, i.e. begin to follow Christ, and not bring the work to an end, as those of whom St. John writes, That many of his disciples went back. Or by the foundation understand the word of teaching, as for instance concerning abstinence. There is need therefore of the above-mentioned foundation, that the building up of our works be established, a tower of strength from the face of the enemy. Otherwise, man is laughed at by those who see him, men as well as devils.

GREG. For when occupied in good works, unless we watch carefully against the evil spirits, we find those our mockers who are persuading us to evil. But another comparison is added proceeding from the less to the greater, in order that from the least things the greatest may be estimated. For it follows, Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand

CYRIL; For we fight: against spiritual wickedness in high places; but there presses upon us a multitude also of other enemies, fleshly lust, the law of sin raging in our members, and various passions, that is, a dreadful multitude of enemies.

AUG. Or the ten thousand of him who is going to fight with the king who has twenty, signify the simplicity of the Christian about to contend with the subtlety of the devil.

THEOPHYL. The king is sin reigning in our mortal body; but our understanding also was created king. If then he wishes to fight against sin, let him consider with his whole mind. For the devils are the satellites of sin, which being twenty thousand, seem to surpass in number our ten thousand, because that being spiritual compared to us who are corporeal, they are come to have much greater strength.

AUG. But as with respect to the unfinished tower, he alarms us by the reproaches of those who say, The man began to build, I and was not able to finish, so with regard to the king with whom the battle was to be, he reproved even peace, adding, Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an ambassage, and desires conditions of peace; signifying that those also who forsake all they possess cannot endure from the devil the threats of even coming temptations, and make peace with him by consenting to him to commit sin.

GREG. Or else, in that awful trial we come not to the judgment a match for our king, for ten thousand are against twenty thousand, two against one. He comes with a double army against a single. For while we are scarcely prepared in deeds only, he sifts us at once both in thought and deed. While then he is yet afar off, who though still present in judgment, is not seen, let us send him an embassy, our tears, our works of mercy, the propitiatory victim. This is our message which appeases the coming king.

AUG. Now to what these comparisons refer, He on the same occasion sufficiently explained, when he said, So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple. The cost therefore of building the tower, and the strength of the ten thousand against the king who has twenty thousand, mean nothing else than that each one should forsake all that he has. The foregoing introduction tallies then with the final conclusion. For in the saying that a man forsakes all that he has, is contained also that he hates his father and mother, his wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own wife also. For all these things are a man's own, which entangle him, and hinder him from obtaining not those particular possessions which will pass away with time, but those common blessings which will abide for ever.

BASIL; But our Lord's intention in the above-mentioned example is not indeed to afford occasion or give liberty to any one to become His disciple or not, as indeed it is lawful not to begin a foundation, or not to treat of peace, but to show the impossibility of pleasing God, amidst those things which distract the soul, and in which it is in danger of becoming an easy prey to the snares and wiles of the devil.

BEDE; But there is a difference between renouncing all things and leaving all things. For it is the way of few perfect men to leave all things, that is, to cast behind them the cares of the world, but it is the part of all the faithful to renounce all things, that is, so to hold the things of' the world as by them not to be held in the world.

Catena Aurea Luke 14

The Last Supper

Tilman Riemenschneider

1501-02
Limewood
Church of Sankt Jakob, Rothenburg

Sunday

September 4, 2016
Jubilee for Workers & Volunteers of Mercy

The Eyes of Joy

“Let anyone who comes to you go away feeling better and happier. Every one should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile. Joy shows from the eyes. It appears when we speak and walk. It cannot be kept closed inside us. It reacts outside. Joy is very infectious.” – St. Teresa of Kolkata

Let us rejoice today in the canonization of St. Teresa of Kolkata! We have another advocate in heaven, and she can open each of us to the beauty of serving the poor in our midst.

Thought for Today: “Yesterday has gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ~ St. Teresa of Kolkata

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, September 4

Liturgical Color: Green

Pope St. Boniface I died on this
day in 422 A.D. As pope, he
battled against Pelagianism, a
heresy that denied Original Sin
and Christian Grace. He enlisted
the help of St. Augustine to
suppress the heresy.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 4th

Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

September 04, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption, look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters, that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Autumn Apple Harvest Menu

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Home Concerts

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Prayers (2)

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Library (3)

Old Calendar: Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

"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."

The Feast of the Birth of Mary is celebrated today but the Sunday Liturgy supersedes it.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of Wisdom 9:13-18a. In today's extract the author is stressing man's incapability of understanding the divine plans and decrees. Because we are finite, limited beings, our knowledge is finite and limited. There are many limited, finite problems all around us, which we cannot solve. How could we hope to solve the infinite ones?

The second reading is from St. Paul to Philemon 9b-10, 12-17. This letter is the shortest of St. Paul's letters and at the same time the most personal and touching. During his first imprisonment in Rome (61-63), a slave called Onesimus, who had run away from his Christian master Philemon, a native of Colossae, came to Paul in Rome and was converted to Christianity. Paul sent him back to his master bearing this letter, in which Paul touchingly appeals to Philemon to deal kindly with the runaway.

The Gospel is from St. Luke 14:25-33 and teaches us that the essential condition for true discipleship, demanded by Christ, was, and still is, total dedication, total commitment of oneself to Him. There can be no such person as a half-Christian. "He that is not with me is against me," He said on another occasion. We cannot be for Christ on Sunday and against Him for the remainder of the week. To be His true disciples, His true followers, we must live our Christian life every day and all day.

Following Christ means making our way to heaven. It is a life-journey. We have a limited time in which to complete this journey. Therefore, we must travel a certain distance each day. This does not mean that we must spend every day in prayer and meditation. There are other tasks to be done, but we must Christianize these other tasks. Even the members of religious orders who "leave the world," that is, who are set free from the family and financial cares of this world by their vows of chastity and poverty, have to busy themselves with other cares like teaching, nursing, tilling the soil perhaps, house-keeping, writing and many such activities. They cannot and do not spend all their day and every day in prayer and meditation. Nor does Christ demand this of them.

Much less, therefore, does He demand this of the ninety-nine percent of His followers who have to take on themselves financial and family cares. It is by fulfilling these worldly duties in a Christian way that they are dedicating themselves to His service. This is their total commitment to Christ. The married man or woman who is loyal to his or her life-partner and to the family, if there is one, and who provides diligently and honestly for his own and the family's spiritual and temporal welfare, and who always does this with the intention of pleasing God, is following Christ and is moving steadily day by day towards heaven.

— Excerpted from The Sunday Readings Cycle C, Fr. Kevin O' Sullivan, O.F.M.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 14:25-33

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost? (Luke 14:28)

Few of us have needed to build a tower, much less review troops before battle. But we all have plans that require us to assess our resources. Do I have what it takes to get that degree?. . . to care for a foster child or elderly relative?. . . to lead that Bible study in my parish?

The woman being canonized today certainly had what it takes. As she made her life “something beautiful for God,” St. Teresa of Calcutta showed the determination that is the hallmark of every disciple. “The first step to becoming holy,” she once said, “is to will it.”

This can sound intimidating, especially if you don’t see yourself as a particularly determined person. But Jesus wants to share the secret that Mother Teresa and every other saint discovered: sheer willpower isn’t the whole story. The truly critical factor is God’s desire.

If you want your life to be something beautiful for God, know that he wants the same thing. Know also that he has all the grace you need to accomplish it. He has filled you with his Spirit; he gives you his Body and Blood at Mass; he walks beside you every day, helping you when you stumble and cheering you on when you succeed. He is 100 percent behind your desire to build a “tower” that glorifies him.

So whenever you sit down to calculate the cost of following Jesus—especially when that cost seems too high—take comfort from these words from St. Teresa of Calcutta:

You belong to him. Nothing can separate you from him. That one sentence is important to remember. He will be your joy, your strength. If you hold onto that sentence, temptations and difficulties will come, but nothing will break you. . . . My prayer for you is that you . . . answer Jesus’ call to you with the simple word, “Yes.”

“Jesus, I say yes! I will follow you no matter the cost.”

Wisdom 9:13-18
Psalm 90:3-6, 12-17

A Christian Pilgrim

JESUS SPEAKS OF TAKING UP OUR CROSS

03 Sep

JESUS SPEAKS OF TAKING UP OUR CROSS

(A biblical reflection on the 23^rd Ordinary Sunday [Year C] – 4 September 2016)

Gospel Reading: Luke 14:25-33

First Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18; Psalms: Psalm 90:3-6.12-14.17; Second Reading: Philemon 9-10.12-17

Scripture Text

Now great multitudes accompanied Him; and He turned and said to them, “If any one comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be My disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:25-33 RSV)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of “taking up our cross”. The Father of English Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer [1343-1400], observed that “he who wants a dear thing must give up a dear thing”. That is to say, you cannot have real love without equally real self-discipline. Doctors, musicians, artists, scientists, authors, teachers, inventors – all have come to realize that greatness only comes with self-discipline.

Honest work is a heavy cross, but it is accepted gladly for the love of the goal to which it leads. Spiritualize this truth, and you have the daily cross of which Jesus speaks. He gave up all else to pursue His great love, the Father’s plan of redemption. Christ Jesus …… “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).

The daily cross is the expression of love. A genuine love makes a person “deny himself” and follow Christ, for love makes him give up all that interfere with the pursuit of the beloved. Petty self-love considers every small annoyance or reversal a “daily cross”, in which the mistaken “martyr” can indulge her or his self-pity. Really, most of the small troubles and dislikes which we consider great sacrifices are expressions of our selfishness. We exaggerate our tiny ill feelings into great artificial crosses. If we were truthful, we would see them as mere slivers, shavings, sawdust that fall here and there from the cross. But they are not the cross; they are the crude signs of our weakness.

The cross Jesus carried and asks us to carry is the life of Christian love itself, the great “baptism” toward which His whole life was directed. The cross is our state of life, our apostolate, our daily duties, our marriage, our family, our teaching, our nursing, our studies, our job – whatever work of unselfish love and devotion God has given us. The small daily vexations are only the shadows cast by that great cross, for the cross is the towering tree of overwhelming love. It is that great “dear thing” for which all other “dear things” are given up with joy.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, the triumph of Your cross is the triumph of Your perfect love. Blessed is Your most precious name, forever and ever. Amen.

A Christian Pilgrim

Sequence of today's Gospel

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 4, 2016:

“For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans.” (Wis 9:14) How true this can ring for married couples at times! Pray to the Holy Spirit when you feel “timid” and “unsure” and ask for the Lord’s guidance.

Weapons for Spiritual Battles

Pastor’s Column

23rd Sunday Ordinary Time

September 4, 2016

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus warns us that before we engage the enemy (the evil one, our sins, the world) in battle or set out on our God-given mission in life, we had better be sure we have the resources to win; otherwise, we might as well surrender in advance, because our foe is not mere flesh and blood but the forces of darkness that lie unseen (Luke 14:25-33). The Lord goes so far as to say that we must give up all our possessions. What does he mean?

Jesus makes it clear that in order to see the battles of life for what they really are, and to win them, we need more than our own earthly resources. We need HIS weapons at our disposal, not just our own possessions! If you are battling with only earthly resources, says Jesus, go ahead and sue for peace right now, because you are going to lose that battle without them!!

What possessions must I relinquish? Let’s start with the most important of all: I must hand over to God my own will. I must learn to choose God’s will. I will win every battle when I hand over my most precious possession, my will, and let His be done. And this is done by praise in all things!

Here’s another precious possession: my time. At the beginning of each day we are to hand over to God our schedule, that he may help us plan it. I will make time for the things of God: prayer, Mass on Sunday, quality time with my family, spiritual reading, scripture, sacrificial giving.

I will hand over to Christ another possession I am attached to: my sins. I will go to confession if I have serious sin on my soul, and thus defeat the enemy, who has lied to me and told me it isn’t necessary. And every day I will examine the wins and losses of the day, repent, and then rejoice!

I will hand over to Christ my entertainment time. What choices do I make on the computer, on TV, in movies, in magazines? Which camp am I in? Christ’s or the enemy? It all depends on which choice I am making right now!

We can use this gospel in our daily battles of life with these and other tools of the Holy Spirit. Though our daily struggles may seem ordinary, we will be victorious when we are equipped with Christ’s resources.

Father Gary