Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 8:18-22

 

When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

 

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?  In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”  Fox holes and bird nests are refuges where these animals can hide and find sanctuary from their enemies.  To be a disciple, we must give up the comfort of our refuge and seek the mission of God.  A true Christian is a person who is baptized with the Holy Spirit and is bound to do whatever and go wherever Christ calls them.  We must be willing to give up our home, our family and even our friends if Christ calls us to do that.  When one of his disciples said he needed to go home and bury his father, Jesus replied, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”  The dead that Jesus refers to in this passage are those who have not seen or are not willing to see the light of true faith.  Following Christ is not easy.  He calls each of us personally to follow Christ.  Each of us will have our own unique mission different from everyone else. 

 

So why is it so difficult to follow Christ, to be his undivided disciple?  In our hearts and in our souls, we feel the calling and many of us have a deep rooted desire to follow him; however, fear and lack of self confidence in our Spiritual growth prevent us from becoming fully attached to God.  Thomas Merton said, “As long as there is any refuge where man can curl up by himself and hug some private good that nobody else is allowed to share, there remains in his heart a cranny in which the dirt of selfishness accumulates.”  If I desire something and hold that something and keep it to myself, then I cannot drink of the fruit of the Lord.  I separate myself from Christ.  I must be willing to release these things.  Jesus promises us if we release those things that are most dear to us, we will be rewarded 100 times in heaven.  Our life on earth is short; our new life in heaven is eternal. 

 

Tonight, as you reflect upon the day and recount your sins and the graces, think of the items which you cannot release.  Make a list of those things that you hoard and ask God to give you strength to release the clutch you have on these things so that you can free up your arms for his service.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

“Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. 

All that I am and all that I possess you have given me.

I surrender it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. 

Give me only your love and your grace —

with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more.”

 

Prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon