Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi
How willing are you to follow Jesus? When we have those special moments of grace, it is easy to say to Jesus, “Yes, of course, I will follow you!” Then, often too quickly, our commitment fades, life gets hard, and we find ourselves alone on the road once again. In our Gospel today, Jesus tests those who want to follow him. “Well,” he asks, “what if I don’t have a place to stay? Will you still follow me?” “What if following me requires you to let go of family and friends?” “What if it means giving up your comfortable job?”
Is this not true of so many of our commitments? What about diets? Praying every morning? Or maybe being nice to people. It works for a bit and then fades. Upholding commitments requires the virtues of persistence and consistency. This is what Jesus is teaching us today. Are you willing to pursue this?
Reflection by Fr. Etienne Huard, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections