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Gospel Reading for September 07, 2025 – Luke 14: 25-33
UNWILLINGNESS
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “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. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
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Of course, Jesus who teaches us to love, is not teaching us to hate our parents, wife, children, brothers and sisters and even our own life. Jesus is explaining what is needed for us to be his disciples: DETERMINATION – willing to espouse Christian values even if it means that we have to go against people close or dear to us, or even if it means giving up our life; and SACRIFICE – willingness to go through life’s difficulties, giving up pride, and giving up valued possessions to provide for those in need.
Truly, if we have both of these, being a Christian is not really difficult after all, because what makes something difficult is our UNWILLINGNESS to do it.
“Si Jesus ang lahat sa buhay, kaya may saya. Si Jesus ang lahat sa buhay, kaya may saya. Problema’y dumarating, kaya ko itong dalhin. Si Jesus ang lahat sa buhay, kaya may saya.”
