Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-03-04, Optional St. Martin de Porres

November 3, 2004
Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Reading I
Phil 2:12-18

My beloved, obedient as you have always been,
not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent,
work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
For God is the one who, for his good purpose,
works in you both to desire and to work.
Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life,
so that my boast for the day of Christ may be
that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
But, even if I am poured out as a libation
upon the sacrificial service of your faith,
I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.
In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.

Responsorial Psalm
27:1, 4, 13-14

R (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Gospel
Lk 14:25-33

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,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."

From: Philippians 2:12-18

The Children of God Are the Light of the World

[12] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only
as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; [13] for God is at work in you, both
to will and to work for his good pleasure.

[14] Do all things without grumbling or questioning, [15] that you may
be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst
of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in
the world, [16] holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of
Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
[17] Even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial
offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
[18] Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Commentary:

12-18. St Paul now points out that reflection on Christ's example
should lead Christians to make a genuine and generous effort to attain
salvation. When he was in their midst, they did try to do this; he is
no longer with them, but they should still be pressing forward (v. 12).
In doing so, they are always being helped by grace, which will lead
them to implement God's plans for them (v. 13).

With God's help Christians should light up the world by the example of
their honest, simple lives (v. 14). The Apostle points out that his
work will be effective if they conduct themselves as children of God
and bear witness to others concerning the word of salvation (vv. 16-
17). The Philippians' response to grace more than repays him for all
his efforts and fills his heart with joy (v. 18).

12-13. Perseverance in faith and charity until the end of one's life is
a gift from God. This perseverance is possible provided one does not
frustrate the graces which God continues to provide. In this connection
the Council of Trent stresses that "all ought to have most secure hope
in the help of God. For unless men are unfaithful to his grace, God
will bring the good work to perfection, just as he began it, working
both the will and the performance" ("De Iustificatione", chap. 13).

"For his good pleasure": the grace God gives a person to enable him to
perform supernatural acts is an expression of his benevolence; he wants
all men to be saved. Man can do nothing that leads to eternal life
unless he be moved by grace. And yet grace does not overpower our
freedom: it is we who love, and we who act. Man's inability to perform
meritorious actions on his own should not cause him to lose heart. On
the contrary, it is an additional reason why we should be grateful to
God, for he is always ready to give us the help of grace; grace enables
us to do good works, which are efficacious for meriting heaven. St
Francis de Sales gives this example to show the wonderful way God's
love works: "when an affectionate mother is teaching her little child

to walk, she helps him and holds him if necessary, directing him to
safer places and more level ground, holding him by the hand and keeping
him there, or lifting him up in her arms. Our Lady similarly watches
over the steps her children take" ("Treatise on the Love of God", book
3, chap. 4).

God's solicitude towards us should not, however, be an excuse for
inaction on our part. He is always desirous of entering our soul (cf.
Rev 3:20), but he will not do so if we refuse to listen to his voice;
if we bar our heart to him. Hence St Paul's advice: "work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling" (v. 12). This is an urgent
invitation to second the action of God's grace in our soul. The "fear"
and "trembling" are the fear of a good child who does not want to
displease someone who loves him (cf. 2 Cor 7:15); this filial fear is
closely connected with the joy of sensing God (cf. Ps 2:11) and it is
sweetened by the sure knowledge that God himself is bent on our being
holy; "we must [...] not be dispirited. We must not be stopped by any
kind of human calculation. To overcome the obstacles we have to throw
ourselves into the task so that the very effort we make will open up
new paths" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 160).

14-15. In the midst of people who sometimes turn their backs on God, a
Christian should always act in a "blameless and innocent" way that
befits a child of God. By so doing his work and social dealings will be
"lights in the world", showing everyone the way, with the light of
Christ. "Don't let your life be barren. Be useful. Make yourself felt.
Shine forth with the torch of your faith and your love. With your
apostolic life, wipe out the trail of filth and slime left by the
unclean sowers of hatred. And set aflame all the ways of the earth with
the fire of Christ that you bear in your heart" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way",
1).

The first Christians did not go in fear of the world, despite being
surrounded by depravity and wickedness. Although the equals of their
fellow-citizens, their way of acting exerted a supernatural influence
on the society of which they formed part. They were putting into
practice their Master's teaching: "Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is
in heaven" (Mt 5:16).

"The difference between Christians and the rest of mankind is not a
matter of nationality, or language, or customs. Christians do not live
apart in separate cities of their own, they do not speak any special
dialect, or practice any separate way of life [...]. To put it briefly,
the relationship of Christians is to the world as that of soul to body.
As the soul is diffused through every part of the body, so are
Christians through all the world" ("Letter to Diognetus", 5, 1 and 2;
6, 1).

Today, as then, Christians continue to be a leaven of spiritual and
truly human life. Nothing human is a matter of indifference to them.

In addition to the many human reasons which motivate this way of
acting, the faithful also draw inspiration from their faith: "Every
Christian should make Christ present among men; he ought to act in such

a way that those who know him sense 'the fragrance of Christ' (cf. 2
Cor 2:15). People should be able to recognize the Master in his
disciples" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 105).

17. In some of the sacrifices regulated by the Mosaic Law (cf. Ex 29:
40; Num 15:5, 7; 28:14-15) as also in many types of pagan sacrifice, a
libation was poured over the sacrificial victim. In pagan rites this
consisted in pouring wine over the holocaust while it was actually
burning on the altar. St Paul's words here refer to this rite. Up to
this he has offered his life as a sacrifice so that the faith might
spread to all men; now he is ready to go further to shed his blood as a
libation to make his sacrifice complete. Should it prove necessary to
die a martyr's death, that would not sadden him; he would be very
happy.

Many saints have felt the same way. St Ignatius of Antioch, for
example, asked the Christians of Rome to sing in thanksgiving to God
when the time came for him to be thrown to the lions: "Suffer me to be
a libation poured out to God, while there is still an altar ready for
me. Then you may form a loving choir around it and sing hymns of praise
in Jesus Christ to the Father" ("Letter to the Romans", II, 2). Total
self-surrender and unreserved commitment to his vocation should
categorize an apostle's life, for he should always bear in mind that
"no ideal becomes a reality without sacrifice" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way",
175). Self-denial, therefore is absolutely essential if one is to fully
identify with Christ. However, "Many who would willingly let themselves
be nailed to a cross before the astonished gaze of a thousand onlookers
cannot bear with a Christian spirit the pinpricks of each day! Think,
then, which is the more heroic" ("The Way", 204).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Luke 14:25-33

Conditions For Following Jesus

[25] Now great multitudes accompanied Him (Jesus); and He turned and
said to them, [26] "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. [27] Whoever does not
bear his own cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. [28] 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? [29] Otherwise,
when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see
it begin to mock him, [30] saying, `This man began to build, and was
not able to finish.' [31] Or what king, going to encounter another
king in a 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? [32] And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he
sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. [33] So therefore, whoever
of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple."

Commentary:

26. These words of our Lord should not disconcert us. Love for God and
for Jesus should have pride of place in our lives and we should keep
away from anything which obstructs this love: "In this world let us
love everyone," St. Gregory the Great comments, "even though he be our
enemy; but let us hate him who opposes us on our way to God, though he
be our relative [...]. We should then, love, our neighbor; we should
have charity towards all--towards relative and towards strangers--but
without separating ourselves from the love of God out of love for them"
("In Evangelia Homiliae", 37, 3). In the last analysis, it is a matter
of keeping the proper hierarchy of charity: God must take priority over
everything.

This verse must be understood, therefore, in the context of all of our
Lord's teachings (cf. Luke 6:27-35). These are "hard words. True,
`hate' does not exactly express what Jesus meant. Yet He did put it
very strongly, because He doesn't just mean `love less,' as some people
interpret it in an attempt to tone down the sentence. The force behind
these vigorous words does not lie in their implying a negative or
pitiless attitude, for the Jesus who is speaking here is none other
than that Jesus who commands us to love others as we love ourselves and
who gives up His life for mankind. These words indicate simply that we
cannot be half-hearted when it comes to loving God. Christ's words
could be translated as `love more, love better', in the sense that a
selfish or partial love is not enough: we have to love others with the
love of God" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 97). See the notes on
Matthew 10:34-37; Luke 2:49.

As the Second Vatican Council explains, Christians "strive to please
God rather than men, always ready to abandon everything for Christ"
(Vatican II, "Apostolicam Actuositatem, 4).

27. Christ "by suffering for us not only gave us an example so that we
might follow in His footsteps, but He also opened up a way. If we
follow that way, life and death becomes holy and acquire a new meaning"
(Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 22).

The way the Christian follows is that of imitating Christ. We can
follow Him only if we help Him bear His cross. We all have experience
of suffering, and suffering leads to unhappiness unless it is accepted
with a Christian outlook. The Cross is not a tragedy: it is God's way
of teaching us that through sin we can be sanctified, becoming one with
Christ and winning Heaven as a reward. This is why it is so Christian
to love pain: "Let us bless pain. Love pain. Sanctify pain....Glorify
pain!" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 208).

28-35. Our Lord uses different examples to show that if mere human
prudence means that a person should try to work out in advance the
risks he may run, with all the more reason should a Christian embrace
the cross voluntarily and generously, because there is no other way he
can follow Jesus Christ. "`Quia hic homo coepit aedificare et non
potuit consummare! He started to build and was unable to finish!' A
sad commentary which, if you don't want, need be made about you: for
you possess everything necessary to crown the edifice of your
sanctification--the grace of God and your own will." ([St] J. Escriva, "The
Way", 324).

33. Earlier our Lord spoke about "hating" one's parents and one's very
life; now He equally vigorously requires us to be completely detached
from possessions. This verse is a direct application of the two
foregoing parables: just as a king is imprudent if he goes to war with
an inadequate army, so anyone is foolish who thinks he can follow our
Lord without renouncing all his possessions. This renunciation should
really bite: our heart has to be unencumbered by anything material if
we are able to follow in our Lord's footsteps. The reason is, as He
tells us later on, that it is impossible to "serve God and Mammon"
(Luke 16:13). Not infrequently our Lord asks a person to practice
total, voluntary poverty; and He asks everyone to practice genuine
detachment and generosity in the use of material things. If a
Christian has to be ready to give up even life itself, with all the
more reason should he renounce possessions: If you are a man of God,
you will seek to despise riches as intensely as men of the world seek
to possess them" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 633). See the note on Luke
12:33-34.

Besides, for a soul to become filled with God it must first be emptied
of everything that could be an obstacle to God's indwelling: "The
doctrine that the Son of God came to teach was contempt for all things
in order to receive as a reward the Spirit of God in himself. For, as
long as the soul does not reject all things, it has no capacity to
receive the Spirit of God in pure transformation" (St. John of the
Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", Book 1, Chapter 5, 2).

FEAST OF THE DAY

Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru around the year 1579. He
was the illegitimate son of a Spanish grandee and a native
Panamanian. Martin's father did not recognize him as his son until
after Martin was eight years old. Martin's father abandoned his family
when another child was born, so Martin, his mother, and his sister
were forced to live in poverty.

At the age of twelve, Martin was apprenticed to a barber-surgeon. He
learned how to cut hair and the basics of medicine and surgery.
Martin took his medical knowledge and set out to serve the needy.
After several years, he applied to the Dominicans to be a "lay
helper." He applied for this position because he did not see himself
as worthy to be a religious brother. Martin was accepted and worked
for nine years nursing the sick and caring for the poor. His
Dominican brothers recognized his example of prayer, penance,
charity, and humility and asked him to make a full religious
profession.

Martin spent the rest of his life as a Dominican brother offering his
services to all with no prejudice about race or economic status.
During his lifetime, he was instrumental in founding an orphanage,
raised money for the poor, was known to bilocate and have
miraculous knowledge, and sometimes worked instantaneous cures
of an illness. He died in 1639 and was canonized by Pope John XXIII
in 1962. Martin de Porres is the patron of social justice and people of
mixed races.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

However great the work that God may achieve by an individual, he
must not indulge in self-satisfaction. He ought rather to be all the
more humbled, seeing himself merely as a tool which God has made
use of. -St. Vincent de Paul

TODAY IN HISTORY

753 Death of St. Pirminius, first abbot of the Benedictine monastery
at Reichenau (located in modern Germany).

TODAY'S TIDBIT

St. Pirminius, mentioned in today's historical fact is important
because one of his writings, book entitled "Scarapsus," is the earliest
known writing to contain the Apostles' Creed as it is worded in its
present form.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

On this feast on Martin de Porres, someone who experienced racial
discrimination in his own life, but would not let it effect how he
treated everyone he met, please pray for more racial harmony in the
world.

American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

November 3, 2004

St. Martin de Porres

(1579-1639)

"Father unknown" is the cold legal phrase sometimes used on baptismal records. "Half-breed" or "war souvenir" is the cruel name inflicted by those of "pure" blood. Like many others, Martin might have grown to be a bitter man, but he did not. It was said that even as a child he gave his heart and his goods to the poor and despised.

He was the illegitimate son of a freed woman of Panama, probably black but also possibly of Native American stock, and a Spanish grandee of Lima, Peru. He inherited the features and dark complexion of his mother. That irked his father, who finally acknowledged his son after eight years. After the birth of a sister, the father abandoned the family. Martin was reared in poverty, locked into a low level of Lima’s society.

At 12 his mother apprenticed him to a barber-surgeon. He learned how to cut hair and also how to draw blood (a standard medical treatment then), care for wounds and prepare and administer medicines.

After a few years in this medical apostolate, Martin applied to the Dominicans to be a "lay helper," not feeling himself worthy to be a religious brother. After nine years, the example of his prayer and penance, charity and humility led the community to request him to make full religious profession. Many of his nights were spent in prayer and penitential practices; his days were filled with nursing the sick and caring for the poor. It was particularly impressive that he treated all people regardless of their color, race or status. He was instrumental in founding an orphanage, took care of slaves brought from Africa and managed the daily alms of the priory with practicality as well as generosity. He became the procurator for both priory and city, whether it was a matter of "blankets, shirts, candles, candy, miracles or prayers!" When his priory was in debt, he said, "I am only a poor mulatto. Sell me. I am the property of the order. Sell me."

Side by side with his daily work in the kitchen, laundry and infirmary, Martin’s life reflected God’s extraordinary gifts: ecstasies that lifted him into the air, light filling the room where he prayed, bilocation, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures and a remarkable rapport with animals. His charity extended to beasts of the field and even to the vermin of the kitchen. He would excuse the raids of mice and rats on the grounds that they were underfed; he kept stray cats and dogs at his sister’s house.

He became a formidable fundraiser, obtaining thousands of dollars for dowries for poor girls so that they could marry or enter a convent.

Many of his fellow religious took him as their spiritual director, but he continued to call himself a "poor slave." He was a good friend of another Dominican saint of Peru, Rose of Lima.

Comment:

Racism is a sin almost nobody confesses. Like pollution, it is a "sin of the world" that is everybody's responsibility but apparently nobody's fault. One could hardly imagine a more fitting patron of Christian forgiveness (on the part of those discriminated against) and Christian justice (on the part of reformed racists) than Martin de Porres.

Quote:

Pope John XXIII remarked at the canonization of Martin (May 6, 1962), "He excused the faults of others. He forgave the bitterest injuries, convinced that he deserved much severer punishments on account of his own sins. He tried with all his might to redeem the guilty; lovingly he comforted the sick; he provided food, clothing and medicine for the poor; he helped, as best he could, farm laborers and Negroes, as well as mulattoes, who were looked upon at that time as akin to slaves: thus he deserved to be called by the name the people gave him: 'Martin of Charity.'"

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	What Do You Make: Peace or War?
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Wednesday, November 3, 2004

Philippians 2:12-18; Luke 14:25-33

The litigious character of American society has become a source of both distress and downright weariness for most citizens. No matter what the problem, the instinct of too many of us is to sue first and ask questions later. "Whom can I blame?" and "What can I get?" are not the first questions that healthy people and honest people ought to be asking. Yet those are the first questions that too many of us ask.

Our reading from St. Paul today suggests that this is no new phenomenon. The early Christians had to be reprimanded for much the same thing, which in the end is reducible to a self-centeredness that cares neither for justice nor for the peace and harmony of the community.

Paul urges them and us to think in larger terms and thus “to shine like stars.” A very special part of our vocation as Christians is to become peacemakers, namely, to develop the habit and the skill of bringing people together, not just by splitting the difference, but by seeking justice and peaceful souls. Doing that always requires that we let go of ego, of the need to be right, and of the need to get even.

Peacemaking requires a largeness of heart and a breadth of vision that ultimately only God can supply. That tells us where we need to begin when conflict approaches. We need to begin with the Lord who is always there for us and is always enough for us.

Trust that and you will become like Jesus, a maker of peace.

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Meditation
Philippians 2:12-18

Shine like stars in the world. (Philippians 2:15)

What a beautiful image! Without the stars, the night sky would be utter darkness. Who among us wouldn’t want to be compared to one of these mysterious, attractive points of light? Amazingly enough, our heavenly Father grants us this opportunity as we offer the gospel of hope to a needy world. But how can we really shine with God’s light? St. Paul gives us the key: We must “work out” our salvation with “fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Work? Hasn’t Jesus already done the work by dying on the cross for us? Yes, he has. Jesus has forgiven all our sins and set us right with God. Yet, if we want to know the reality—and the depths—of this forgiveness and justification, he calls us to “work out” our salvation.

Essentially, this means cooperating with the Holy Spirit as he applies the power of Jesus’ cross to every part of our lives. It means listening to the Spirit’s voice and obeying him during the day. For instance, when there’s gossip flying around the neighborhood and we hear the Holy Spirit say, “Keep clear,” we choose to hold our tongues. Or when stressful situations come along, such as a sick child who needs special care or a major deadline at work, we can invite the Spirit to bring his healing touch to our child and his peace to our work.

Working out our salvation doesn’t mean laboring by ourselves. Our work is to keep turning our hearts to the Lord in times of stress, to obey him when we’re tempted to say something unkind about another person, or to let him urge us to help a stranger in need. In every one of our efforts at obedience, prayer, repentance, and generosity, the Holy Spirit is empowering and encouraging us. He is working with us and through us, gently reminding us to keep giving our hearts to God. He will strengthen us in the face of temptation. He will give us compassion for our neighbors. And the whole time, our hearts will become lighter and lighter. That’s how we shine like stars. That’s how the joy of our salvation will become evident in our lives.

“Thank you, Jesus, for giving me such a glorious salvation. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who empowers me to obey you. May your name be forever praised!”

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, November 3, 2004 >>

St. Martin de Porres

Philippians 2:12-18

Psalm 27

Luke 14:25-33

View Readings

STAR WARS

“You shine like the stars in the sky while holding fast to the word of life.” —Philippians 2:15-16

“Darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples” (Is 60:2). In the midst of worldwide darkness, Christians are like stars. We are not merely light, but the only light that has conquered the darkness. “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance” (Is 60:3).

The devil, the prince of darkness, tries to snuff out our light and thereby command total darkness. He hates the light and tries to seduce others to share his enmity. “The judgment of condemnation is this: the Light came into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were wicked. Everyone who practices evil hates the light; he does not come near it” (Jn 3:19-20).

The devil even tries to shoot us stars out of the sky. But in this titanic star war, we have more firepower. We can blow him out of the skies. Jesus said: “I watched Satan fall from the sky like lightning” (Lk 10:18). When we become Christians, we enter into a transcosmic, intergalactic battle. We need to ask ourselves if we’re ready to pay the cost of discipleship necessary to claim Christ’s victory. Jesus says: “If one of you decides to build a tower, will he not first sit down and calculate the outlay to see if he has enough?” (Lk 14:28) Some Christians think of themselves as merely members of a Sunday club. They never realized they were entering a transhistorical, monumental struggle. What about you? Do you know what you’re into?

Prayer: Jesus, how could You have ever chosen me as a star and a warrior in Your army! I praise and adore You.

Promise: “In the same way, none of you can be My disciple if he does not renounce all his possessions.” —Lk 14:33

Praise: St. Martin shone so brightly during his earthly lifetime that members of his own community called him “father of charity.”

Lk 14:25-33
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
25	And there went great multitudes with him. And turning, he said to them:	ibant autem turbae multae cum eo et conversus dixit ad illos
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 esse meus discipulus
27	And whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.	et qui non baiulat crucem suam et venit post me non potest esse meus discipulus
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 turrem aedificare non prius sedens conputat sumptus qui necessarii sunt si habet ad perficiendum
29	Lest, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that see it begin to mock him,	ne posteaquam posuerit fundamentum et non potuerit perficere omnes qui vident incipiant inludere ei
30	Saying: This man began to build and was not able to finish.	dicentes quia hic homo coepit aedificare et non potuit consummare
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 qui rex iturus committere bellum adversus alium regem non sedens prius cogitat si possit cum decem milibus occurrere ei qui cum viginti milibus venit ad se
32	Or else, while the other is yet afar off, sending an embassy, he desireth conditions of peace.	alioquin adhuc illo longe agente legationem mittens rogat ea quae pacis sunt
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 quae possidet non potest meus esse discipulus

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.