Daily Readings - Wed Nov 06 2019
Romans
8You should owe nothing to anyone, except so as to love one another. For whoever loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law9For example: You shall not commit adultery. You shall not kill. You shall not steal. You shall not speak false testimony. You shall not covet. And if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself10The love of neighbor does no harm. Therefore, love is the plenitude of the law
Luke
25Now great crowds traveled with him. And turning around, he said to them26"If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple27And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple28For who among you, wanting to build a tower, would not first sit down and determine the costs that are required, to see if he has the means to complete it29Otherwise, after he will have laid the foundation and not been able to finish it, everyone who sees it may begin to mock him30saying: ‘This man began to build what he was not able to finish.31Or, what king, advancing to engage in war against another king, would not first sit down and consider whether he may be able, with ten thousand, to meet one who comes against him with twenty thousand32If not, then while the other is still far away, sending a delegation, he would ask him for terms of peace33Therefore, everyone of you who does not renounce all that he possesses is not able to be my disciple
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of love and discipleship. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that love is the fulfillment of the law. He lists several commandments—against adultery, murder, theft, false testimony, and coveting—and then sums them up in one simple principle: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." This is not just a suggestion but the very essence of living a Christian life. Paul emphasizes that love does no harm to others, and therefore, it is the plenitude of the law.
In the Gospel, Jesus presents a stark and challenging message about the cost of discipleship. He says that to follow him, one must be willing to "hate" even their closest family members and their own life. This does not mean literal hatred but rather a willingness to prioritize God above all else. Jesus uses two parables to drive home his point: the builder who must calculate the cost of constructing a tower and the king who must assess his chances of winning a war. Both parables emphasize the need for discernment and commitment. Jesus is not asking us to renounce our families or our lives out of hatred but to recognize that following him requires a radical reordering of our priorities. We must be willing to let go of everything that stands in the way of our relationship with him.
These readings remind us that love and discipleship are deeply intertwined. Love, as St. Paul teaches, is not just a feeling but a choice to put the needs of others before our own. At the same time, Jesus calls us to a radical commitment, one that requires us to examine our lives and priorities. In our daily lives, this means asking ourselves: Are we willing to love even when it is difficult? Are we willing to let go of attachments that keep us from following Christ more closely? The moral lesson is clear: true love and true discipleship require sacrifice, but they also bring us closer to God and to one another. Let us strive to live out this love and commitment in our everyday lives.