In today’s Gospel Jesus does not tell us that we should have no love for the things most precious in our lives, our many bonds of kinship, even our own life itself. He is telling us that even these things must not be given a preference in our decisions that would amount to a renunciation of Christ and what He stands for. If we are to be His true followers, we must ‘carry His cross and come after Him.’ Our following must not be halfhearted, His two parables tell us. We must weigh up fully the implications of our decision not to allow any consideration to destroy our commitment to Him; we must be ready to carry it through to the end. The final words of the Gospel are the most challenging of all: ‘none of you can be my disciples unless he gives up all his possessions’. But these very words help us to understand that Jesus is not holding up to us an impossible ideal. We are urged to ‘lend, without hope of return’ and to ‘give’ generously. What the Lord asks for is that in our life commitments, we place all that is most dear to us in His hands, ready to accept whatever He asks of us.
Adults: Who or what problem do you need to place in God’s hands and trust in Him?
Children: What are you worried about that you should trust God to take care of?
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