13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr Dominic’s Homily
Jesus speaks powerful words today that can sound challenging to us. He speaks of taking up our cross and of loving him more than our parents, children, and family.
Why does he say these things? Aren’t we supposed to love and honour our family? Surely this was one of the 10 commandments given by God. Honour your mother and father. This was shocking teaching that defied social convention.
It’s a bit like me saying to you if you don’t love me more than all your families then I don’t want you here. What prophet could make such a demand? Jesus is showing his divinity. It’s a claim that only God can make.
And he is pointing to another higher reality of relationships, our relationship with God.
The essence of being a Christian is so much more than just doctrine and commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship - a relationship of love with God. God seeks a personal intimate relationship with each one of us.
That is why Jesus challenged his followers, and even his own earthly relatives, to recognize that God is the true source of all relationships. God wants all of our relationships to be rooted in him.
He then moves on to suffering. We may find it hard to shoulder our cross in this life or to love Christ more than our family. But, all of us can offer a thirsty person some water. Which might seem like a very small thing - unless you are the one who is thirsty.
There is no Christianity without the cross. Self-sacrifice and love are the very essence of being a disciple of the Lord. Christ transformed suffering into love through the cross. And Love is the only ladder that can take us to heaven. As Rose of Lima tells us.
What we consider as suffering is for God a way that he can gain entry into our lives. Your being increases in the measure that you give it away, in giving back to God what he has given us.
The world tells us that we must accumulate as much as we can and only then will we be happy. But true happiness comes from when we give back to God what he has given to us. The truly mighty people in this world give away. It is then multiplied by God. Think of when the disciples gave the little food they had to feed the 5000.
We have to remember that our life is not just about us. And the family is not about itself. It’s a place where the missions of each family member are discerned and prepared for. The family exists not just for the benefit of itself but rather for God and his purposes.
There is something more important than the natural in this world. It is the super natural. That’s the true reality. It’s the only reality. Surrendering to the will and purpose of God. Finding your mission in this life.
Our being will increase to the measure that we give it way. Let go of each other and give each other to God and your family will be holier and happier.
It’s said that great doors can swing on small hinges. Small rudders can turn huge ships. Tiny mustard seeds grow into mighty trees. Opportunities for showing compassion often come before us which can make a big difference.
Most of us are unlikely to find a cure for an illness, or be able to bring about world peace. But, every one of us can find small occasions to love.
In his guidebook for Christian living, St Francis de Sales emphasises the importance of small acts of love, small acts of human kindness. We can waste our lives dreaming big dreams of doing marvellous things that may never happen.
Jordan Peterson reminds us that there is no point in trying to change the world if you can’t even tidy your own bedroom.
Think of St. Theresa of Lisieux and her Little Way. Little things mean a lot.
So what is the cross which Jesus asks us to take up each day as his disciple? What small sacrifice? We can never be more generous than God.
The question is: are we really ready to lose everything for Christ so that we can then gain a life that we could never imagine?