READINGS FOR THE 23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C, SUNDAY, 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2022
First Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18
Psalm: 89
Second Reading: Philemon 1:9-10, 12-17
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM
DISCIPLES: SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we begin the month of prayer for Creation, I wish you all a happy new month. I say welcome to the First Sunday of the month of September. Today, is the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. My reflection today, focuses on the disciples search for the truth.
It is not an overstatement to say that the search for the truth about the realities of creation and life have been one of flux and uncertainty. In respect of this, the disciples continue to search for the truth. We are searching for the truth modelled on the values which focus our hearts on following Jesus with courage, conviction and commitment. We are searching for the true wisdom that will enhance our understanding on how to meet the demands of discipleship of Jesus Christ. This search will help us to accept the truth that God overrides all our curiosities for doing things right for the common good of humanity and creation.
One place that is always a sure source of encouragement towards our search for the Truth is God’s Word. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus is God. Therefore, God is the Truth.
God in many ways continues to call us to follow him. Following God is a special vocation, a call to discipleship. We did not choose to follow God rather, God chose us to follow him. Following God requires sacrifice and great detachment. Following God is a holy act that requires total trust and dependence on Him. Following God is a special call to service. Following Jesus Christ means entering into a personal relationship with him and valuing his teachings. To follow Jesus Christ more effectively, we need to encounter Him personally. When we encounter Jesus Christ in a special way, our perceptions of His identity and mission will change for good.
We read about the call of Elisha in the first book of Kings and how he took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He cooked the oxen, and then gave his men, food they could eat. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kings 19:16, 19-21). Elisha’s actions show detachment and joy as two necessary conditions for following God.
To support this, Jesus said to his followers: “If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Jesus further said: “Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14: 26-27). The disciples of Jesus found this teaching incomprehensible and difficult to accept.
Recognising the disciples’ difficulties in understanding His teaching, Jesus said to them, in order to gain eternal life, they must lose this life. Put simply, it means, to gain eternal life, we must detach ourselves from the material things of this world not pleasing to God. Nothing matters more than pleasing God.
Today, many people resist the idea of pleasing God and carrying our cross which are fundamental to our Christian life. Jesus poses very important questions to all of us: “What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?” (Matthew 16:26). If we lose our soul, what joy will the pleasures of this world bring us? The answer is none.
Jesus reminds us that “the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour” (Mathew 16:27).
We are called to make a wholehearted response to Christ’s invitation by detaching ourselves from material possessions and move into a new way of living in Christ. This is a radical change and a heroic decision. This is an expression of deep faith in Jesus Christ, who continues to call us to follow him.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, our primary goal is the salvation of human souls, to save souls. This is the Truth that will set us free. We are encouraged to carry our cross and follow Jesus Christ. That is our greatest task the followers of Jesus Christ today.
We are called to become the person God calls us to be. Our response to God’s invitation must be genuine. When we follow Jesus Christ genuinely and with faith, our lives will never remain the same. We will cherish Jesus Christ more.
May God help us to value His teachings and be proud to be His disciple now and forever. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM.