September 7: The Day of the Lord / El Día del Señor

In Luke 14, 25-33, Jesus uses the expression “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” The English word “hate” carries so much baggage these days that Jesus’ words strike us as confusing or at least inappropriate, don’t they? Hating?

Jesus, however, is using what is called “exaggeration-for-effect” or hyperbole. Thus, “hating” in Hebrew does not mean “detest” but to “put in second place.” Jesus is not calling us to hate our father and mother, but is instead calling us to a total commitment, a commitment above all other commitments, including our commitment to family.

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In 1534, St. Thomas More discerned that he could not, with any honesty, approve of King Henry’s second marriage and he could not acknowledge the King as the supreme head of the Church of England. His family implored him – for his sake and theirs – to take an oath of loyalty to the throne. St. Thomas’ beloved daughter, Margaret, promised to persuade him to do so, in order that the family might at least visit him in prison. Margaret, accompanied by her mother and husband, tried hard, but St. Thomas refused. He spent fifteen lonely months imprisoned in the Tower of London – in poor health, isolated from his family and the other prisoners, and deprived in every way possible.

St. Thomas More was convicted of treason, sentenced to death and, on July 6^th, 1535, he was executed. On mounting the scaffold, he proclaimed that he was “the king’s good servant but God’s first.” He paid the price for his discipleship by loving God more than his wife, children, and even his own life. Do you remember this old adage? “Jesus never promised us that following Him would be easy, just necessary.”

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Celebramos hoy el domingo vigésimo tercero durante el año. Y Jesús permanentemente nos recuerda que no es fácil ser su discípulo. Por eso, venimos a su celebración para escucharlo y pedirle su fuerza, su ayuda, y su gracia Sacramental.

Las Escrituras de hoy nos dicen que necesitamos ser enseñados por Dios, ya que somos incapaces de conocer plenamente sus designios. Y Él nos introduce en el mundo de lo divino, manifestando sus designios mediante su Hijo hecho hombre – Jesús. Él es quien nos enseña que es necesario amar a Dios con un amor absoluto, por encima de toda criatura, y que ocupe el primer puesto en nuestro corazón. 

Hoy Jesús nos llama a tomar conciencia que no es posible vivir el catolicismo a la ligera – la vida del discípulo exige aceptar el dolor y abrazar la Cruz.

Nuestra tarea: Ser discípulos de Cristo. Y "ser sus discípulos" nos exige el jugarnos totalmente por los demás, viendo en ellos al mismo Cristo, y sintiendo sus necesidades como propias.