Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
November 3, 2021
Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 487
Reading I
Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill;
you shall not steal;
you shall not covet,
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Responsorial Psalm
- ( 5a) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”
Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Martin de Porres, religious
Reflection: TOTAL COMMITMENT IN FOLLOWING JESUS
It might be easy 'to be a disciple' of Jesus, but to be a 'follower of him' is totally another story. 'Following Jesus' is a radical call that involves many risks and challenges. The concept of 'detachment from the world' sounds outdated and out landish! Detachment from kith and kin would even evoke laughter in people today. Literally, the call of Jesus comes to that! Either there is total commitment to Jesus or nothing else! Added to that is the responsibility of carrying one's own cross. While detachment and acceptance of the cross appear difficult, we see people doing this all the time. I am thinking of very responsible parents spending much of their time and energy working far away from their homes for the love of their families. We know the cross of separation from the family they suffer. When motivated by love and concern for one's loved ones, detachment and suffering do not become heavy, it leads to more love. I am reminded of the quote from Mother Theresa: 'Love until it hurts. When you love until it hurts, there is no hurt anymore, but there is more love'. We live in a world that entices even the best of religious men and women with money, friendship and power! Many good and mature leaders of the Church have succumbed to the pressures of this world. The invitation of Jesus to detach kith and kin and to accept suffering is basically an invitation to love him unconditionally. When we are not able to detach ourselves from people and circumstances and are not willing to accept the crosses that come our way, the question we need to ask is: Do I love God enough? Do l love people enough? The commandment of Love that is presented in the first reading invites us for a similar reflection. All commandments are summed up in one commandment: Love your neighbour as yourself.' This commandment cannot be fulfilled unless we are willing to accept the cross, for true love involves risks of betrayal and rejection.