Daily Readings - Wed Nov 08 2017
Romans
8Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.9The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Luke
25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,30saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'31Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.33So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot 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 emphasizes that genuine love for our neighbor does no harm and embodies the essence of God’s commandments. This passage challenges us to see love not as a feeling but as a choice that guides our actions and relationships. In the Gospel, Luke presents a stark and challenging message from Jesus about the cost of following him. Jesus says that to be his disciple, one must be willing to “hate” even family and oneself, bear the cross, and renounce all possessions. This is not about literal hatred but about prioritizing our relationship with God above all else. Jesus uses the parables of the tower builder and the king going to war to stress the need for discernment and commitment. True discipleship, he teaches, requires a willingness to surrender everything and embrace sacrifice.
These readings are deeply connected. While Romans focuses on the positive expression of love as the heart of the law, Luke’s Gospel emphasizes the radical commitment required to live out that love in discipleship. Together, they remind us that love is not sentimental or superficial but transformative and costly. To love as God loves means putting aside our own desires and comforts for the sake of others and for the sake of the Kingdom. This is the essence of the Christian life: to love without reserve and to follow Christ without hesitation.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to examine our priorities and our willingness to let go of what holds us back from loving God and others fully. Are we willing to set aside our attachments, our fears, and our selfishness to follow Christ? Are we prepared to bear the cross of sacrifice and inconvenience for the sake of the Gospel? These are not easy questions, but they are essential for growing in holiness. Let us ask for the grace to love as God loves—generously, selflessly, and without condition. Let us also pray for the courage to embrace the challenges of discipleship, trusting that the reward of following Christ far outweighs the cost.