23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time ( C )

INTRO:

When I was in the second grade I was awfully impressed with our parish priest who came into the classroom. He was a newly ordained priest, TALL, HANDSOME, and FUNNY. Of course we were preparing for First Holy Communion in that grade and our teacher stressed its importance, and being the good boy that I was I believed her that Holy Communion was important! And then the priest “seconded” that instruction!
But, from that one priest visit, I don’t know what came over me, but, I became TOTALLY COMMITTED to becoming a priest! To becoming JUST LIKE HIM!!!
It was WILD, and REFRESHING to have made that decision at that early age!!!!

It is said that:

I wasn’t interested in becoming a priest……I WAS COMMITTED TO BECOMING A PRIEST.
Wholeheartedly and every YEAR AFTER that second grade classroom, I kept repeating….I’m going to be a priest and, I DID!

COMMITMENT is what defines us.

All of us, young and old, have made some kind of commitment either TO SOMEONE or TO SOMETHING. It is what we do in life AND it is ALSO what Jesus expects of the baptized!

ONE of the commitments we should make in life is:
• to be “religious” or
• to be “church-related” or
• To be “spiritual”.

Today, LUKE in this Gospel uses some interesting ….. Almost severe words …… to express this COMMITMENT, of being
A disciple / a follower / a religious person

He says:
• Give up everything and everyone
• Carry a cross
• Calculate your future

So let’s not be INTERESTED in being a Catholic,
Let’s be COMMITTED

Abraham Lincoln says:

CONCLUSION

Today there is this faithful reminder to you and me…..as followers of Jesus, He wants us committed to HIM in some way.

So, either keep up your good spiritual commitment work, or look at what your “spiritual” commitment is these days and if necessary, don’t be interested in fixing it, be committed to fixing it!