Gospel: Taking Up Our Crosses

Today is the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary time, and the Gospel for today is lifted according to St Matthew.

Jesus said to his apostles: "Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life loses it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

The central theme of the readings in Ordinary Time pertain to the public ministry of Jesus, and this week's Gospel tells us something about what a vocation is, and how the ministry of the Church operates up to this day. Jesus tells us that to be a servant of the people is to deny himself of everything that weighs him down, like his parents or if married, then his family and children. To be fully in service with the Lord is to take up our crosses, which means that we have to embrace sacrifices and if that leads to death, then it is a gift.

Denying ourselves of material things, or starting a family, is like killing a part of ourselves. Life spent in finding happiness in material wealth only distracts us from what really matters. Priestly and Consecrated Life vocation teaches us how to love God, and to see God in all things, in all its simplicity and meekness.

As lay faithful, it is our duty to welcome those whom Jesus sent for the good news without violence or provocation. The Gospel needs to be proclaimed, and countless Saints offered their own life to fulfill this mission. 

Tomorrow, June 29, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, the patron saint of the Diocese of Rome. This liturgical celebration commemorates the martyrdom of St Peter and St Paul as they follow into Jesus' footsteps by proclaiming God's message. May we be inspired by this holy apostolic act by praying for more vocations, especially for those people exploring their options on which vocational path to take.

Amen.

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