If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Lk.14:26,27
Jesus turns to the large crowd that is following him and stuns them with a challenge... drop everything that hinders you and then, only then, come follow me.
It seems as though Jesus waned to put and end to the populist movement that was growing about him. People were following the miracle man, wanting to be fed, wanting to be entertained, wanting to be wowed by the next trick.
These were no reasons for following him. Even following Jesus for relief of a a burden, a cross, is not reason enough. Following Jesus involves a far greater conversion, a surrendering of everything, no, a "dieing " to everything that hinders.
Sometimes being Catholic for me can be a cosy convention, replacing an intimate relationship with Jesus. I can forget there is a cost to following him. But oh, what great joy when I do surrender all to him. Even surrendering this time now to him is a small death. Perhaps that's the secret. Small daily deaths of me to gain great life in him.
Jesus, I again surrender myself and place my trust in you. I lay down the god of "me" and pick up my life in you.
Little Flower, please pray for me.
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