Thirteenth Sunday of the Year

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21; Gal. 5:1, 13-18; Luke. 9:51-62

 

 little brother avi bala bitra                                            26th  June , 2022

Every human person in today’s world seeks to find meaning in his or her life.  People particularly young ones are often discouraged when they are unable to perceive the way of life and aim to search for it in wrong and absurd ways.

 Every human person has a purpose to fulfill in life. All have a specific task and are individually called by God for a task or a mission.  The call that God gives is personal.  We will not comprehend the mission easily unless we are totally attentive to his calling.  There is the constant search for God in the heart of every person.  There is a need of quietness and withdrawal to recognize the presence of God in our life.

 n the first reading the Prophet finds a candidate who is totally committed to God to succeed him.  Elijah the Prophet presumed his service to God was at an end; he even prayed for his death. His successor receives the mantles from Elijah which represents the personality of the owner and indicates the official clothes of the Prophet with a divine call.  He is chosen to care the people of God.

 In the second reading St Paul teaches a lesson to the gentile converts that they must not give any attention to the false teaching of Judaizers.  Jesus Christ has come to free them from the slavery to the Old Law and remove from them the burden of religious legalism. They are to practice the freedom that comes from the Spirit. This freedom will make them slaves of one another in love.

 The opening passage of the Gospel of today begins with the journey of Jesus and his disciples from Galilee to Jerusalem where his mission on earth was to end. His purpose of coming into this world was to proclaim the Kingdom of God. He proclaimed this Kingdom at the beginning of his ministry to the people.

 Jesus voluntarily set out on this journey towards Jerusalem.  No sooner did his journey begin then the serious opposition he encountered. The Samaritans rejected the attempt of Jesus to enter the village because they knew he was heading towards Jerusalem, and at that time the animosity between the Samaritans and Jews was harsh and explosive.

 We cannot be for Christ and against him at the same time.  Jesus had already said that he, who did not gather with him, would scatter.  This reminds us of the sincerity of the following of the master and our dedication to him. 

 Thus we hear the Gospel speaking about true discipleship and the faithful following of Jesus. A disciple is one who is learning or has learned from a master or teacher, or one who follows the teachings prescribed by the master. 

 Sacred Scripture records that the disciples followed Jesus during his public ministry and received instruction from Him regarding the Good News of salvation and the fullness of revelation. It was a deep personal experience of self-discovery, struggle, service and growth. While it is personal, the journey of discipleship is not private.

A Disciple does not walk alone with Christ but walks along with others. Discipleship is not for the weak and ambivalent.  Jesus teaches that lesson very clearly. Those who want to be followers of Jesus must be convinced that discipleship demands priority over everything else. This requires radical commitment and faithfulness.

 Once we meet Christ, only one thing is and must be important for us: to accomplish the mission which he confided in us.  Yes, he who meets Christ in his life, through the calling of grace, must imitate Saint Paul, when he said: “But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14) Surely, only the future must count for us. 

What we are going to do for Christ, what we accomplish today to proclaim the kingdom of God in all aspects of our life, this is what is important, and this is what gives our life on earth all its meaning.

Let us therefore choose God with the same responsible abandon of Elisha following Elijah……

 

 - @Avinash Bitra OFM Cap.