by Fr. Gregory-David Jones, O.S.B.

     Jesus has very strong words for those who wish to follow him.  To paraphrase, “If anyone comes to me without hating his family, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”  Even with the nuanced understanding that Jesus is essentially saying that following him has to be a priority over everything, any person making such demands would be considered a type of cult leader.  However, there is a major difference that has never been repeated by any leader in the history of humanity and this is what makes the Christian faith unique.

    Jesus elaborated on his demands by referring to the carrying of the cross.  This reference may have seemed unusual for those who were listening to him because his Crucifixion had not yet taken place and he did not speak directly about it at that point in Luke’s Gospel.  Rather, the later actions of his Passion identified what he was referring to.  By telling us that our worthiness to be his followers depends on our willingness to forsake everything for him essentially means that we have to have the same type of devotion – the same type of passionate love he demonstrated for us.

Father, your Son loved us to the point of death.  May the bearing of our crosses become more and more an expression of gratitude rather than a burden to be feared.  Amen.

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