We are all born with free will through which we make decisions. The life of faith is also the life of reason; free will, faith and reason, all are gifts from God. Throughout history every human being has been invited, in one way or another, to choose, to decide to have a relationship with God. We are the living stones that come together to make God’s house, one people all in different ways sharing the ministry of Jesus of priest, prophet and king. We follow what the ancient Romans called the “cursus honorum”, a way of honour, in our case the way to eternal life.

In inviting people to follow him Jesus is always totally, even painfully, truthful and honest about what this involves. In this Sunday's gospel he cannot be clearer about the price of discipleship. It is a hard and stark message. Discipleship means giving to God our first loyalty. Jesus, as he often does, exaggerates to make a point, to make an impact, to make us stop and think. Today he says that to be a follower we must reject even hate what is closest to us. But Jesus’ way is the way of love, not hatred. There is no place for hatred in his teaching. The term “hate” in the gospel in its original context means to “love less”. Jesus means that the love that his follower will have for God will be so great that all earthly loves will in some way pale by comparison.

This the way of honour is not an easy path, or a triumphal procession as in ancient Rome, but it is the way of the cross. In Jesus’ time the cross was the ultimate in pain, degradation and humiliation. Despite what we see in images of the crucifixion, people were often left literally naked on the cross, which was especially humiliating to Jews. Given this, associating the cross with discipleship would have been deeply shocking to Jesus’ listeners and it still unsettling for us. Very few of us invite the burden of the cross into our lives, but cross-bearing is the essence of discipleship. In my own life I have seen how a cross can positively transform a person in their life of faith and in some mysterious way draw a person, and those around them, into a deeper intimacy with God.

Jesus does not want us to be deceived or for us to deceive ourselves about discipleship. Jesus does not want followers who rush into things without thinking about what is involved. Witnessing to Jesus by our words and actions in the world is not easy, we need God's help. Jesus is always with us he has already saved the world by his life death and resurrection; his very name means “the one who saves” and he will save us, save you, too.

Stay close to Jesus in the life of faith; nothing can separate you from the love of God except yourself.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris