Here is the text of the reflection I shared with those who gathered to pray with us this weekend: some thoughts about discipleship today.
From week to week, we gather in this place to spend time together, to pray, to seek guidance and to be strengthened in our resolve to live out our lives as disciples: followers of Jesus Christ. Following in the footsteps of Jesus is not a task for the faint of heart.
The first reading that we heard today (cf Wis 9:13-18) is a powerful reminder of how great God is and how wondrous his plans for us are meant to be. We may have already experienced God's gentle and abiding love for us, but if we are sincere about wishing to submit ourselves to Him ... if we really seek to model our lives on His life, we should also be prepared to be challenged because our God constantly calls us to the realization of truth.
Jesus reminds us that discipleship makes some tough demands on us: Whoever of you does not give up all their possessions cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:33). Saint Paul demonstrates this truth in his willingness to continue speaking about Jesus even if to do so meant that he had to be imprisoned (cf Philemon 9).
Why then should we follow Jesus? Would life not be easier if e were to follow our own desires or only commit ourselves half-heartedly to living our faith? Yes, in the short run, perhaps this would be easier on us, but the real reason why most people choose to attempt anything that is challenging is because of the results. An athlete sacrifices and trains for better performance; a student reads, writes and reviews consistently to obtain desirable grades. So too, following Jesus will produce greater results than anything else we might commit to doing.
The result of following Jesus is everlasting life. Our earthly lives are perishable. Some day these tangible bodies of ours will all return to dust, but God has promised to restore and to perfect the life we originally received. Christ came to show us that our earthly lifespan does not have to be all we know. God has prepared something much better for us: eternal life in paradise, and it is ours to be enjoyed without end.
The cost of discipleship
From week to week, we gather in this place to spend time together, to pray, to seek guidance and to be strengthened in our resolve to live out our lives as disciples: followers of Jesus Christ. Following in the footsteps of Jesus is not a task for the faint of heart.
The first reading that we heard today (cf Wis 9:13-18) is a powerful reminder of how great God is and how wondrous his plans for us are meant to be. We may have already experienced God's gentle and abiding love for us, but if we are sincere about wishing to submit ourselves to Him ... if we really seek to model our lives on His life, we should also be prepared to be challenged because our God constantly calls us to the realization of truth.
Jesus reminds us that discipleship makes some tough demands on us: Whoever of you does not give up all their possessions cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:33). Saint Paul demonstrates this truth in his willingness to continue speaking about Jesus even if to do so meant that he had to be imprisoned (cf Philemon 9).
Why then should we follow Jesus? Would life not be easier if e were to follow our own desires or only commit ourselves half-heartedly to living our faith? Yes, in the short run, perhaps this would be easier on us, but the real reason why most people choose to attempt anything that is challenging is because of the results. An athlete sacrifices and trains for better performance; a student reads, writes and reviews consistently to obtain desirable grades. So too, following Jesus will produce greater results than anything else we might commit to doing.
The result of following Jesus is everlasting life. Our earthly lives are perishable. Some day these tangible bodies of ours will all return to dust, but God has promised to restore and to perfect the life we originally received. Christ came to show us that our earthly lifespan does not have to be all we know. God has prepared something much better for us: eternal life in paradise, and it is ours to be enjoyed without end.
Le coût d'être disciple
De semaine en semaine, nous nous réunissons dans cet endroit pour passer du temps ensemble, afin de prier, de chercher des conseils et de renforcer notre détermination à vivre notre vie de disciples: les disciples de Jésus-Christ. Vivre à l'exemple de Jésus n'est pas une tâche pour les coeurs faibles.
La première lecture que nous avons entendue aujourd'hui (cf Sg 9: 13-18) est un puissant rappel de la grandeur de Dieu et de la merveille que ses projets pour nous sont censés être. Peut-être avons-nous déjà expérimenté l'amour doux et constant de Dieu pour nous, mais si nous voulons sincèrement nous soumettre à lui ... si nous cherchons vraiment à modeler notre vie sur la sienne, nous devrions également être prêts au défi, parce que Dieu nous appelle constamment à faire la vérité.
Jésus nous rappelle que le fait d'être disciple nous impose de grandes exigences: celui d'entre vous qui ne renonce pas à tout ce qui lui appartient ne peut être mon disciple (Lc 14, 33). Saint Paul illustre cette vérité dans sa volonté de continuer à parler de Jésus même si cela voudrait dire qu'il devait être mis en prison (cf Philémon 9).
Pourquoi alors devrions-nous suivre Jésus? La vie ne serait-elle pas plus facile si nous suivions nos propres désirs ou si nous ne nous engagions pas du tout à vivre de notre foi? Oui, à court terme, peut-être que cela serait plus facile pour nous, mais la vraie raison pour laquelle la plupart des gens choisissent de tenter quelque chose de difficile c'est en vue des résultats. Un athlète fait des sacrifices et s'entraîne pour de meilleures performances; un élève lit, écrit et révise régulièrement pour obtenir les notes souhaitées. De même, suivre Jésus produira de meilleurs résultats que toute autre chose que nous pourrions nous engager à faire.
La conséquence de suivre Jésus, c'est la vie éternelle. Nos vies terrestres sont périssables. Un jour, tous nos corps fragiles retourneront à la poussière, mais Dieu a promis de restaurer et de perfectionner la vie que nous avions initialement reçue. Jésus Christ est venu pour nous montrer que la durée de notre vie terrestre ne doit pas nécessairement être seulement ce que nous connaissons. Dieu nous a préparé quelque chose de beaucoup mieux: la vie éternelle au paradis ... et il nous appartient de la goûter sans fin.
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