13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
In today’s gospel reading from the gospel of Saint Matthew, chapter 10, verses 37 to 42, Jesus gives us the demands and rewards of discipleship. What are these demands of discipleship given to us by Jesus. They are as follows:
- To love God above all things or persons,
- To take up our crosses daily,
- To follow Jesus, and
- To show kindness and charity to others.
My dear friends in Christ, remember what true discipleship entails, it entails:
- Detachment from the world, which means disconnecting or separating ourselves from the world and earthly attachments. This helps us to hunger more for Christ, by searching for Him, encountering Him, getting to know Him and having Him be the center of our lives.
- Dedication to God by being committed in our relationship with Him by being selfless in everything we do.
- Sacrificing our time, energy and lives for the greater glory of God, and for the spread of the gospel of Christ in the world today.
“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple, amen I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” With these words, Jesus explains to us, the rewards of discipleship which is, more blessings from God and the kingdom of heaven.
With these demands and rewards of discipleship given us by Jesus today, ask yourself, am I a true disciple of Christ? Do I love God above all things or persons by detaching myself from the things or peoples of the world? Do I accept the crosses that come my way, and take them up daily with complaints, frustration or doubts? Do I really follow Christ as His disciple? Am I kind and charitable to others?
Let us pray in today’s Eucharistic celebration for the grace to faithfully and truly answer our call to discipleship by loving God above all things and persons; by taking up our crosses daily; by consistently following Jesus; and by showing kindness and charity to others. Remember, by doing so, you will surely not lose your reward in heaven said Jesus.
