Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

When we choose a course of action, all the other options fade away. What we bring into reality, we become responsible for. Moreover, any task that we undertake must be evaluated as meaningful first, otherwise our efforts will falter.

Gospel according to Luke 14:25-33

Large crowds were travelling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate their father and mother, spouse, and children, brothers and sisters, and yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ “Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first to consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, whoever of you does not give up all their possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Reflections

What does it take to follow Jesus? What does it take to become His disciple? In today’s Gospel, Jesus answers this question with a few key pointers: Single-mindedness, discernment, commitment, and perseverance.

A large crowd was following Jesus as he went through the countryside. His fame was spearing as a preacher, miracle worker, and healer (Luke 14:25). People were drawn to his disciples and those attracted even more followers. Some people were there to see with their own eyes what they heard others tell them about. They were curious. Others sought advice. They were incredulous. Still others were intrigued by the possibility of Him being the Messiah. They were hopeful. All these individuals with different motivations gathered around Jesus and His disciples and became sort of “followers,” a large crowd of people interested in hearing and learning more from Him. 

Jesus, aware of their intentions, turned around and made a strong remark, which may have shocked them and awaken them to the reality of being a true follower of Christ: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate…even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26). Right away, the term “to hate” has to be placed in the right context to understand what Jesus meant by it. “Hate,” is the rejection of something, standing against something, such as evil or wickedness. (1) The opposite of hate is love, which is the acceptance and standing for something, such as justice and truth. By emphasizing denial and even self-denial, Jesus pointed to the first requirement of being a disciple, which is to place God in the center of our attention and to consider God’s will as the most important guiding force in our lives. (2) This paragraph dovetails the first commandment of in the Ten Commandments, that there is one God who we should aim to serve with our whole heart (Deuteronomy 5:6-21). Other people’s desires, commands, instruction, unless they serve the will of God, and are united in the mission, cannot be dominating our decisions and actions; we have to fist seek to understand the will of God for our lives. (3) Therefore, self-denial, the decision to give up wanting to please others before God, is the first requirement to follow God. We have to remove or distance ourselves from the obstacles that prevent us from listening to God’s will and intend to be single-minded and concentrate on what pleases God, and what is his will for our lives. We grow in our understanding of God’s will through a consistent, growing and evolving relationship with Him through prayer, meditation, formation, and living the word of God. 

In his address to youth on June 4th, Pope Leo emphasized: “God never gives up on us; he is always ready to accept us and give meaning and hope to our lives’ however hopeless our situation may seem and however insignificant our merits may appear” (4) The Pope encourages a trusting approach to faith and God’s will, acknowledging that understanding is a gradual process, involving preparing one’s heart to say ‘yes” to God, exercising freedom and responsibility, and finding hope even in suffering by drawing near the Lord, who is close to us. (4) 

Jesus supports the requirement to be attentive to the will of God with a strong statement: “Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27). What does the image of the cross mean in this discourse, when Jesus has not yet been put to death? His contemporaries are familiar with this most cruel form of torture, whereby a condemned man has to carry the pole on which they are later going to be attached to with nails until death. The “death sentence” refers to the unavoidable suffering that is the lot and part of the mission which the disciples, like Jesus, will have to bear. Even at the present moment, when Jesus is so popular, he makes a reminder to this cruel contraption of torture that becomes the instrument of atonement and redemption. 

Our crosses are the suffering that is part of our lives and the lives of those around us. The cost of following Jesus eventually entails suffering for the sake of justice, and self-denial for the sake of aiding others reach salvation, while advancing toward our own.  Pain, guilt, and vulnerability belong to the human condition, but through the courageous facing of suffering, it is possible to bring into the world a position that transforms that suffering from a disarming and devastating blow to a human achievement and contribution to the betterment of the world. (5) Thus, the second requirement of discipleship is discernment: Developing an awareness of the shadows in our lives, the pain and suffering that exists, along with the light, the possibilities and the alternatives. We achieve greater clarity through a dialogue within ourselves with God about what is, what may be, and where He is calling us to act.

“Jesus,” said Pope Leo XIV, “lived every day of his life as preparation for the dramatic and sublime hour of his arrest, his suffering, and his death. For this reason, when it arrives, he has the strength not to seek a way of escape. His heart knows well that to lose life for love is not a failure, but rather possesses a mysterious fruitfulness, like a grain of wheat that, falling to the ground, does not remain alone, but dies and become fruitful. …He [Jesus] is troubled when faced with a path that seems to lead only to death and to the end. But he is equally persuaded that only a life lost for love, at the end, is ultimately found…. This is what true hope consists of: not trying to avoid pain, but in believing that even in the heart of the most unjust suffering, the seed of new life is hidden.”  (6)

Jesus uses two similes to illustrate the relevance of discernment: If you are a builder, “…Intending to build a tower…sit down and estimate the cost…” to avoid ridicule for a failed project (Luke 14:28-30). If you are a king, “…sit down and consider…” your odds of winning against your opponent, or else, send out “…a delegation and ask for terms of peace” well ahead of time (Luke 14:31-32). When we choose a course of action, all the other options fade away. What we bring into reality, we become responsible for. Moreover, any task that we undertake must be evaluated as meaningful first, otherwise our efforts will falter. When we see something worth struggling for, we will have the strength to do it, even if we have to suffer and sacrifice for the sake of it, however, without such fundamental evaluation of worthwhileness, our efforts will wane. (5) God provides grace and perseverance, however, the task that we undertake must be within our possibilities, realistic, and doable. Most of all, it has to be worthwhile. 

One cannot live in an illusion about the costs of being a disciple of Jesus; going on a mission requires physical health, emotional maturity, and spiritual strength. It is true that God can use people who have not very good physical health, or emotional stability, as we have seen this in the  example of so many people who have lived saintly lives, but all these people discerned in their hearts that they wanted to serve God with all their strength and made a commitment to do so. 

Saint Brother André, for example, had frail health. Because of that, he tried about thirty different trades. Initially he was rejected when he applied for entrance into the Congregation of the Holy Cross, and “was shown the door” because of his weak health after a year of novitiate. He wrote that “I held on to that door for the next forty years” –after he was allowed to stay as a porter, doorkeeper, sacristan, laundry worker and messenger at Notre Dame College in Montreal at the insistence of Bishop Bourget who gave him extension and support. (7) 

Therese of Lisieux was also quite frail physically and she suffered from tuberculosis for two years before she died. (8) Saint Margaret of Castello was born with severe physical deformities. (9) Saint Leopold Bogdan Mandić was short, physically weak, and suffered from chronic arthritis. (10) Saint Francis of Assisi became blinded by an eye disease and bedridden by the age of forty. (11) The examples show us that to estimate whether we have what it takes to be disciples often takes a strong heart and determination rather than excellent health. There are many ways of being disciples and followers and many saints have really shown themselves to be worthy followers especially when they were afflicted by illness and suffering. In other words, there is no hindrance from becoming Jesus’ follower because of physical or emotional reasons, if one has a strong will and makes a strong commitment.

There is one condition that Jesus specifies that is most important in becoming a disciple, which is to be ready to “give up possessions” (Luke 14:33), which can be any attachments to things or people that takes away from the ways of the Lord. Therefore, the final requirement is perseverance: to constantly keep nurturing ourselves in the spirit and strengthening our relationship with God and aim for holiness in imitating Jesus.

Spiritual development takes effort. Through willingness to unite our will with the Will of God, we move from a position of where we were to where we could be and where God wants us to be and what he wants us to become. We pray for the grace of God as this transformation takes place in our lives. We can actively subject ourselves to the will of God and consciously work toward increasing our understanding so that we can develop ourselves and cultivate in us the grace that is to flow through us into the world. Spiritual growth happens in nurturing our relationship with God, which can be challenging at times, but offers fruits of joy. 

In today’s Gospel Jesus invites us to be serious about following Him; ponder our strengths and our resources and place our being in the service of God.          

Resources

1. Wilkins, M. J. (2008). What Jesus Hated. C. S. Lewis Institute. Retrieved from: www.cslewisinstiute.org. Accessed: September 3, 2025.
2. Fox, C. (2025). To know and do God’s will: A short Ignatian primer. The Catholic World Report. Retrieved from: www.cworldreport.com. Accessed; September 3, 2025.
3. My Catholic Life (2025). Chapter Eleven: Discerning the Will of God. Reflections and Prayers. Retrieved from: www.mycatholic.life. Accessed: September 3, 2025.  
4. ICN (2025). Pope Leo: Looking for meaning in life? Turn to God. Independent Catholic News. Retrieved from: www.catholicnews.com. Accessed: September 3, 2025.
5. Frankl, V. E. (2014). The Will to Meaning. New York, NY: Penguin.
6. Wooden, C. (2025). Hope in knowing that God is near and that love will win, Pope says. Detroit Catholic. www.detroitcatholic.com. Accessed: September 3, 2025.
7. Franciscan Media (2025). Saint Andre Bessette. Retrieved from : www.franciscanmedia.org. Accessed: September 3, 2025.
8. Gardiner, C. & Séveirac, C. (2025). New details of St. Thérėse’s death made available. Retrieved from: www.aleteia.org. Accessed; September 3, 2025. 
9. Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia (2025). St. Margaret of Castello. Retrieved from: www.nashvilledominican.org. Accessed: September 3, 2025.
10. Medjugorje Centre (2025). St. Leopold Mandić, patron saint of Confessions. Retrieved from: www.medjugorje.org Accessed: September 3, 2025.
11. Becnel, M. M. (2022). Imitating blind, poor, bedridden St. Francis of Assisi. Retrieved from: www.detroitcatholic.com. Accessed; September 3, 2025.