Key
Bold
= verse commented upon
Blue = comment
Highlight = direct
command
Today’s
readings follow up on two themes laid out in yesterday's
readings:
1. First, we cannot let other things take
priority over, interfere with, distract us from our relationship with Jesus.
The adverse effect of letting that happen was illustrated in yesterday’s
Gospel. The people who passed on the banquet missed very good things because
they would not give up other things. Today’s Gospel also, and more explicitly,
tells us that we have to be intentional and self disciplined to put our
relationship with Jesus above all else. We
sometimes have to subordinate other things that are very good in and of
themselves in order to give our all to Jesus—the ultimate good.
2. We should love each other. Yesterday’s
first reading showed us ways to do that: by recognizing our need for each other
and each other’s needs; by taking action to address those needs. Today’s first
reading boils that down to a simple command: love others as we love ourselves.
Today’s psalm follows up on that by illustrating two other ways we can do that:
by helping those who need help and by treating all justly.
Brothers and
sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for
the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, you shall
not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal;
you shall not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are
summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the
fulfillment of the law.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who
greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity
shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed.
He dawns
through the darkness, a light for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.
Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his
horn shall be exalted in glory.
If you are
insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests
upon you.
Great crowds
were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his
father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own
life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come
after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does
not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its
completion? Otherwise, after laying the
foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should
laugh at him and say,‘ This one began to build but did not have the resources
to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and
decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he
will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the
same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be
my disciple.”
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