Memory of the Saints and the Prophets
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
You are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people acquired by God
to proclaim his marvellous works.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Luke 9,57-62
As they travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus answered, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.' Another to whom he said, 'Follow me,' replied, 'Let me go and bury my father first.' But he answered, 'Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.' Another said, 'I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good -- bye to my people at home.' Jesus said to him, 'Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
You will be holy,
because I am holy, thus says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Jesus has just begun his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, and the question of how to follow him immediately arises. Many came to him. Mostly men and women in need of help, healing and comfort; but how could one continue to follow him? There were some among those who were healed or were fascinated by his words, who decided to stay with him and follow him in his path. However it was not an easy or granted choice. Not everyone understand it. And many abandoned him because the commitment is considerable. Others approach, present themselves to Jesus, and ask to follow him. Jesus' responses reveal what is needed to follow him and become his disciple. And it is remarkable that the three answers given by Jesus all relate in some way to the person's relationship with their family. The first person asks to follow him, that is, to share his fate. Jesus answers that the Son of Man, unlike foxes who have dens and birds who have nests, does not have even a place to lay his head. The disciple has to live in the same poverty as the teacher. The second person is called by Jesus directly. When he asks to be allowed to bury his father, Jesus affirms that following him and announcing the Gospel have priority even over the most sensitive family business, like the burial of a father. The third person who approaches Jesus is told that if he wants to follow him, he must not have any regrets about the life he has left behind. The life that is gained by following Jesus cannot be mixed with regrets and glances back. Following Jesus is doubtlessly a radical and even paradoxical choice. But that is because Jesus' love for us is complete, radical, paradoxical, and unique. We could say that Jesus was the first to live out this radical choice in his obedience to the Father and his plan. Disciples live off the same love that Jesus has for his Father. This is the love that we and the world need to be freed from the slavery of sin and death.