Today's Gospel, my friends, is a challenging one. Jesus tells the great crowds following him to sit down and count the cost. Our three w...
Today's Gospel, my friends, is a challenging one. Jesus tells the great crowds following him to sit down and count the cost. Our three words today are Counting, Commitment, and Cross.
First, Counting. Jesus uses two striking analogies: the man building a tower and the king going to war. Both must first sit down and count the cost to ensure they can finish the task. Discipleship is not a casual hobby; it's a calculated decision. We must count the cost of following Christ, not just the benefits. It requires realism, foresight, and a clear-eyed renunciation of anything that would prevent us from finishing the spiritual "tower" of our salvation.
Second, Commitment. The cost of discipleship demands a total commitment that puts love for Christ above all else, even our closest family ties and, seemingly paradoxically, our own lives. The First Reading explains why this commitment is so radical: "Love is the fulfillment of the law." If our commitment to Christ is sincere, it will overflow into genuine love for our neighbor, as exemplified by our saint, Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta. She was a simple, holy nun whose life, though short, was marked by perfect obedience and simplicity, pouring out her love in service to the poor in China. Her commitment to Christ was total, requiring her to leave her homeland and family.
Third, the Cross. Jesus makes it clear: "Whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." The Cross is our lifelong commitment, the daily choice to renounce self-will and embrace God’s will. It’s the daily sacrifice that makes our commitment real. The ultimate goal of all this counting and commitment is not to make life harder, but to gain the true riches—the eternal dwelling.
Let us be honest in our Counting of the cost, firm in our Commitment to love, and courageous in carrying our Cross today. Amen.
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