Monday, July 11, 2011 - FIFTEENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, “Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country.”
Accordingly,
taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced
labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and
Raamses.
Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The
Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel and reduced them to cruel
slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all
kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.
Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, “Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live.”
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MATTHEW 10:34-11:1
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves 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 will lose 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 righteous 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 he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he
will surely not lose his reward?"
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he
went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
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Whoa! Wait a minute. I thought Jesus came to bring peace and harmony to the world and to families. What's all this talk about setting a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a person's enemies being members of his own household? Again, we are talking bout the cost of discipleship. One has to love Jesus even more than blood relatives if that person would be a true disciple.
Why would this be necessary? Why would a person have to turn his back on his family to follow Jesus? For most of us this is not necessary, but for some it is. For some, choosing to follow Jesus means alienating their families. I know a man who decided to become a priest and because of that decision his father did not speak to him for over twenty years. Again, the cost of discipleship. A young woman decides to become Catholic and her family shuns her.
Too often, I believe, we tend to think that if we follow Jesus all will be swell. Our lives will be filled with peace and harmony. Yet we do not find this promise anywhere in the Gospels. Jesus promises us a deep inner peace and joy but these will be accompanied by persecution and strife at times. Recall last Friday's Gospel where Jesus says: "Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures tot he end will be saved." (Matt. 10:21-22) But Jesus adds a ray of light here in today's Gospel. He says: “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 righteous 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 he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward?" The disciple will bring blessings to those who welcome him or her, even members of his own family. What's more we will win eternal life by holding out to the end.
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Lord Jesus, at times it is difficult to be your disciple. Give me the courage and strength I need to follow you completely, even in difficult times.