September 4, 2022
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 4, 2022 – Wisdom 9:13-18B; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33
Now, please welcome [guest speaker] Fr. [Mrutyunjaya] Joy Bira.
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, we are celebrating today, the twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. And the central theme is about that true Christian discipleship. So we are reflecting upon today about true Christian discipleship. Personally, we may ask a few questions to ourselves. How can I become a true disciple of Jesus Christ? How can I commit and dedicate myself to the will of the Father, to the will of the Son, and to the will of the Holy Spirit? Because that is how we can become truly disciples of Jesus Christ.
In the first reading today, which is taken from the Book of Wisdom, speaks to us about to pray to the Holy Spirit for the gifts of discernment and strength. Because it’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the gifts of strength and discernment to follow Jesus Christ truly, to be a disciple of Him. We may try ourselves in order to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ but, unless the Holy Spirit helps us, unless the Holy Spirit guides us, leads us, we may not become a true disciple of Him. Therefore, the first reading today is telling us, instructing us, to pray to the Holy Spirit in order to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. And today the Responsorial Psalm is instructing us to lead a holy life, a worthy life, acceptable to God, and that is another nature to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. And the second reading is instructing us today about detachment and denunciation. We first know St. Paul, he loved Onesimus very much. But then for the love of Christ, he has to renounce him for the greater reason that he could go and proclaim the word of God. And Onesimus, as the first disciple of Paul, as he is going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ he has to renounce his family members and then follow Jesus Christ.
So the second reading is teaching us about renunciation and detachment are the way to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. And, in the Gospel passage today, Our Lord Jesus Christ is teaching us about the cost of discipleship. The cost of discipleship. We are all invited today to become the true disciple of Jesus Christ. But then there are a lot of hardships, sufferings, and pains. That’s why our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us today, “If anyone who wants to follow me doesn’t hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, cannot be my disciple.” And, again, He says, “Whoever does not take up his daily cross and follow me, cannot be my disciple.” Again He says, “Anyone who does not renounce his positions cannot be my disciple.”
So, my dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, as we are reflecting today, the cost of discipleship, we need to reflect more and more in our day-to-day lives as to how can I become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. What are the different measures that I should take in my day-to-day life in order to be his truly disciple? So we are the first know the young man who came to Jesus and he asked,”Good teacher, tell me. What must I do in order to inherit the Kingdom of God, in order to be your truly disciple. What must I do?” And what did the Lord tell him? The Lord told him, “If you want to inherit the Kingdom of God, if you want to follow me, if you want to be truly my disciple, then go and sell all your properties and distribute them among the poor people, and come and follow me. You will be truly my disciple. You would inherit the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven.” And what happened? The young man went very sad because he has a lot of attachment to properties, to wealth and admitted he doesn’t want to give up in order to follow Jesus Christ.
So, my dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, the cost of discipleship. It looks very hard. It is challenging for each one of us. But then, the Lord is always there with us, to help us. The Holy Spirit is there with us, to guide us, to lead us, to direct us as to how to become the true disciple of Jesus Christ. So, let’s reflect more and more in our day-to-day lives how can I become a true disciple of Jesus Christ? How can I commit myself? How can I dedicate myself to the will of the Father, to the will of the Son, and to the will of the Holy Spirit? Because it’s there that we become the true disciple of Jesus Christ.
And, in a special way, today I’m here for mission appeal. And my name is Fr. Joy Bira. I belong to Capuchin Franciscan Friar. You may be knowing there are so many Capuchin Fathers. I belong to South Province of India, but right now, I am living in Union City. And so, I am here on behalf of our brothers and sisters who are in India, requesting you to support them whatever way possible to you. You know, they are not strangers, they are not aliens, they are not foreigners. They are our own brothers and sisters. And they are in need of our financial help. They are in need of our prayerful support, and so on. And definitely, we remember them and we pray for them. In many ways, we try to reach out to them. Either providing them good education to the poor children, little children. By providing them food, materials, clothing, shelter, all that they need in different ways. But then you know, we ourselves are not enough. We ourselves are not sufficient. Therefore, we need your help as well. When we, all of us, together join our hands, then it becomes easier to help someone else.
So, my dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, today I am here in this way requesting all of you to reach out to them in whatever way possible to you. Because they are our own brothers and sisters and they are in need of our financial support, our prayerful support. And this is another way of spreading the mission of God, which our Lord Jesus Christ has started. Spreading our love to our own fellow brothers and sisters who are in need. And that’s how the mission spreads all across the world. We are joining together with Jesus to spread the Kingdom of God, to spread the mission of God, by helping kind of charity ways, whatever ways are possible, to our brothers and sisters who are in need.
So, I thank each one of your for your generosity and for your kindness to reach out to our brothers who are in need. So, today in a special way they know, those people, our brothers and sisters, they know that I am here, speaking on behalf of them. And definitely, I can assure you that, whatever you help today, it is going to reach to them in different forms. Maybe in the form of education, or maybe in the form of clothing, shelter or food, whatever way. In different forms we are trying to help them out. So, be assured of your generosity in whatever way you are going to provide today, that they are going to reach. And definitely, you will be especially blessed by the loving hand of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, in a special way, let’s pray for our brothers and sisters who are in need in this Holy Eucharistic celebration. May the Lord bless each one of them and may the Lord grant them all that they need in their lives. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.