23rd Sunday - Count the Cost of Discipleship

 

 How much does it cost to be a disciple of Jesus?

When our Lord said to count the cost before building a tower before its completion, He was using it as an example to help His disciples and us, know there is a cost associated with being His Disciple and that we should count the cost before choosing to be one of His followers.

In Scotland, they have a national monument of a replica of a large pagan building in Athens. The project to build the replica turned out to be a disaster because they ran out of funds. Today, there is a six ton foundation of stone that was laid with unfinished stone pillars standing as a tribute to poor planning. Today, its known as the “Edinburgh’s Disgrace.” Who would build a tower without first calculating the money needed to build it? Not very smart.

Jesus wants His disciples to count the cost to be one of His followers, so they know for sure what is expected of them and what they are to do. He uses family and possessions as examples of what it means to be a follower of His.

He said there is the cost of renouncing father, mother, spouse, children, brothers and sisters; There is also the cost of renouncing all of one’s possessions; And the cost of carrying one’s own cross. He even tells them, there is the greatest cost of being a disciple, which is the cost of one’s own life. Our Blessed Lord gave them these examples, to help His followers understand, there are many costs required be a true disciple.

The disciples had to give up being with their family so that they could be free to go out into the world to preach the Gospel. Jesus knew that if one chooses to be His disciple, there will be family division because of their faith in Him. Not everyone would accept Him and all of His teachings.

Today, some have the cost of scorn and ridicule when a non-Catholic chooses to become Catholic. Their non-catholic parents, brothers and sisters ridicule and mock their faith believing false things such as Catholics worship Mary. They can’t stand Catholic teachings such as all Catholics are to be pro-life and not use contraception or are obligated to attend Mass every weekend. To be a disciple of Jesus requires the cross. There is pain and anguish when family members disagree over issues of faith.

Jesus also said the cost to be a disciple is to give up possessions. All Christians are to be detached from material things and be willing to use our material possessions for others. And for some, to be a follower of Jesus may cost one’s job.

For example, a pharmacist told his employer, he can't fill prescriptions such as the morning after pill or give out contraceptives, because it goes against my conscience. A stewardess a few years ago, who was fired for wearing a necklace with a crucifix on it. A Catholic professor teaching at a university was fired for teaching-- what the Church teaches, that abortion and homosexual relations are seriously sinful. A Catholic teacher in a public high school was fired for calling a child only by her legal name. The child wanted to switch genders and go by a different name. Amazingly, the judge ruled in favor of the teacher.

The greatest cost to be a disciple is to give up one’s life. All of His apostles would be martyred, but John. How many of the early Christians were thrown to the lions, or crucified, or beheaded, or burned alive because they were disciples of Jesus. ----Christians today, continue to lose their life because they are disciples of Jesus.

Muslims who convert to Christianity in countries like India are killed--- or their family members are killed--- to prevent them from becoming Christian.

When we gaze upon a crucifix, it helps them to understand what it means to carry one’s cross as a disciple of Jesus because we see with their own eyes Jesus carried His Cross. We understand what it means give up one’s life to be a disciple of Jesus, because they see that Jesus died on the cross for us.

Once I entered a patient’s room, and when she saw me, she began to cry. She said, “Just before you walked in, I looked at the blood dripping from the IV and flowing down into my veins, I thought of Jesus on the Cross, who shed His blood for me, and I said to myself, “What have to complain about? Surely I can accept my pain and suffering out love for Him, who died for love of me.”

Many of us have heard the words, “Offer it up!” Why are we told to offer up our pain and suffering? And how do we offer up our pain and suffering?

When Jesus died on the cross, He offered up His suffering to save us, so that our sins can be forgiven, and so that we can go to heaven. The reason why we offer up our pain and suffering and give it to Jesus on the Cross, is because He has chosen to allow us to participate in obtaining the salvation of others, precisely because we are His disciples, who are willing to embrace and carry our cross out of love for Him. And how we offer up our suffering is simply by choosing to do it--- and for those who are able to come to the Sacrifice of the Mass, we offer up our pain and our suffering and our very self on the altar with the bread and wine.

Remember what the Mass is? It’s the re-presentation of Calvary. On the altar Calvary becomes present. At that moment--- we unite our self and our gifts, our pain and suffering with Jesus on the Cross--- as He offers Himself to the Father, for the salvation of souls. When the bread and wine are transformed into His body and blood-- our sacrifices and gifts are also transformed to be used for the salvation of souls. That’s why suffering is precious and valuable when united to the sufferings of Jesus because we are permitted to participate in bringing about the salvation of souls.

When we receive Holy Communion, we too can be transformed by the resurrected Jesus, who comes into our heart and gives us the grace to be one of His disciples, the grace to embrace our crosses and to carry our crosses.

Very few people want to carry the crosses of disease, or illness or misunderstandings, or difficulty with relationships and have pain and suffering. But when we embrace these crosses, and offer up these crosses, we are truly one of His disciples, and are willing to give our life for others, as Jesus gave His life for us on the Cross.

The cost to be a disciple of Jesus is great, but the reward is eternal. Are we willing to pay the price, so that we can live with Him forever in Heaven, who paid the price of our salvation when He died on the Cross and rose from the dead, that we may have eternal life?

Today, and at every Mass, offer yourself, your sufferings and your gifts on the altar with the bread and wine as the priest offers them to God the Father, through Jesus in union with the Holy Spirit. For by doing so, graces will flow throughout the world and help innumerable souls to go to heaven. And may the Virgin Mary pray for us and helps to live out our discipleship, as She did, who was the first and most perfect disciple.