Posted by The WORD in other words (2021) by Fr Narciso Cellan SVD – University of San Carlos, Cebu City
Wednesday 31st Week in Ordinary Time
A woman visited a doctor and complained about her hurting body. She poked her ankle and screamed in pain, touched her knee, and yelled, pressed her forehead, and shrieked. The doctor stopped her: “I think I know what your problem is. You broke your finger.”
We are all hurting. We might appear outwardly happy and healthy, but inside we could be a bundle of wounds and fears. Some pains are so deep that they lead us to dread and strip us of courage. Sometimes, our ability to trust is compromised by the very things that trouble us. We have difficulty believing and measuring up to our faith’s demands because our spirits have been crushed, and our hearts are barely beating.
Then, here comes today’s Gospel, which offers us neither comfort nor assurance. It sets countless expectations of a Christian: the standards of sacrifice are high; the price tag of discipleship is hefty. We can somehow understand why many have turned tail and given up. Throwing in the towel and calling it quits would be much more sensible than pretending to be still taking God’s path when, in fact, we are already a lost cause.
Discipleship is not meant for the faint-hearted; Jesus made it abundantly clear today. But He also emphasized the importance of calculating the cost in advance, of knowing how many troops are needed to defeat an enemy before marching into battle. Discipleship thus requires planning, training, and preparation.
It is a process and a journey. In that journey, we are asked to renounce our possessions so that our spirit can soar, and our faith can grow. We could still be hurting. But our brokenness would be exactly what we need to wise up and understand what the cross is all about.
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