November 8, Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Romans 13:8–10; Gospel: Luke 14:25–33
The statements of Jesus in today's Gospel reading appear to be harsh. But does Jesus expect us to despise one another? Absolutely not! Individuals who want to follow Jesus must meet certain prerequisites. "In the same way, every one of you who does not free himself from all his possessions cannot be my disciple" (v. 33).
It should be realized that following Jesus comes at a cost. Love should cover that expense. To follow Jesus is to be obsessed with Him and His goals, which are God's kingdom. This could imply that we must give up all of our "possessions"—materials, work, dreams, ambitions, family, and romantic partners—in order to follow Jesus.
It does not imply giving up our possessions; rather, it encourages us to unite all of our "possessions" in the quest for God's kingdom or mission, which is the ideal that Jesus envisioned. It can also suggest that we are to be void-filled, abandon our ego's goals for "possession," and redirect our efforts toward the advancement of God's kingdom.
Make every effort for God, advised Saint Paul. "Do everything you do with wholehearted devotion to the Lord, not for the benefit of men" (Col 3:23; emphasis added).
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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