Today’s Gospel is an invitation to the People of the Gospel, and to us, by Jesus to “FOLLOW HIM.” It might seem that Jesus is saying you should not bury the dead, you cannot have a home, or your family and marriage and children do not matter.
To the contrary, Jesus would be the first to remind us that we do have responsibilities to family, to others, and the dead. The point that Jesus is making is often we make excuses for why we cannot do this or that; I cannot help out with a charitable project, I cannot take the kids to Faith Formation Classes, I cannot make it to Mass. Because… the kids have soccer practice, my only time to shop is during Mass time or I have some things to do (things I should have done yesterday, really, I should have done them on Monday… Well, I should have done them 6 months ago, really, I do not want to do what you ask Lord).
Jesus is reminding those he invited to join him in sharing the faith with others (and that is US) to live the faith with others, thru the example of their lives — lives that integrate faith, hope, love and mercy into their day to day living. Not just something that we do when “we feel like it” or “if it fits into our lives.”
At our Baptisms, our parents passed on to us the gift of faith, the gift of life that comes from God, that comes from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Baptism is the first step in growing in love of God and in love of all people. Over the years we will take many steps, action, of love of God and love of others as our self.
Jesus is inviting us and our children to “Follow Him” by deleting the excuse of why we cannot be Disciples of Jesus; living examples of faith, hope and love to our family, our children, to others, to our church community and to our God.
Jesus asks of us to keep moving forward, to stop wavering, and to hold fast to our faith.
As people of faith we have part of two churches. The Catholic Church here at St. Mary’s, Crescent and the little “church” we call our homes. (I would guess that some of us never thought of our homes as a little “church”)
Each week, we come home to God, to this church, to be nourished in faith by word and sacrament; to live the faith we profess. And every day we come and go from our little “churches,” our homes. But for our homes to be mini-churches, there needs to something going on in terms of faith.
What in our home speaks of our faith, our Catholic Faith ?
- A cross, a prayer card, a Bible
- A family that prays before meals
- A family that goes to Mass, maybe even together
- A family that helps others in need
- A family that grows in God’s love and grace.
This Baptism weekend, may we all continue to pass on the faith and give concrete witness to the faith we profess without delay.