Dear Parishioners,
This week’s Gospel begins with some harsh words — but they are words we have heard before. He is speaking to us of discipleship. One definition of a disciple is “a person who is committed to loving, following and serving Jesus Christ in every sphere of life.” In other words, you have to be “all in.” Jesus was truly “all in” when He came to be with us. He gave us everything He had in order to achieve the will of the Father.
Jesus knows this is not an easy task. He knows it may be quite difficult at times so He wants us to be prepared. In life, in order to be successful at anything, you have to be prepared. Look at the examples Jesus gives us in the Gospel: a builder who does not first calculate how much he’ll need for his project could run into unexpected expenses and have to stop before the job is done.
Similarly, a king going into battle must strategically plan his attack so he can be prepared for all scenarios. If he is outnumbered, he may have to change course and look for a peaceful way to settle the dispute.
Athletes wanting to make it to the Olympics must prepare for years and be willing to give up many things including time with their families and many of the foods they enjoy. Without that discipline, they know they will have no chance to achieve the gold.
Jesus is not asking us to be perfect because we are not capable of being perfect. Rather, He is asking us to be fully committed to following Him. When we put Jesus first in our lives and we truly let our actions be actions that Jesus would do — we will be prepared for what comes our way. If we are “all in” — we will be “all right.”
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito