WEDNESDAY, TWENTY SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of St Jerome
Jb 9: 1-12, 14-16; Ps 88: 10-15; Lk 9: 57-62
NO HESITATION IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
In today’s first reading we see that trusting in God instead of material possessions, is what allowed Job to respond with faith to the temptations that came his way, and the tests he was to endure, especially at the hands of his friends whose reasoning challenged his convictions. Job’s real love was for God not for cattle, sheep and camels, family members or even health and Job responded considering everything else as rubbish compared to his relationship with God. Job trusted in God more than anything else and his eyes leaned on God rather than on what he has lost. Thus, he was able to respond constantly as God’s dear servant.
The gospel tells us that Jesus wants a single-minded response to His invitation to follow Him: a life devoted exclusively to His mission, to live in simplicity and trust. A disciple of Jesus is to be free of all attachments; anything that ties one down must be left behind in order to focus fully on the mission. Following Jesus means giving up all attachments – familial, friends, desires, and choosing him and the time to do so is ‘now.’ Jesus turned his face towards Jerusalem and never looked back, even when it meant certain death; his followers are invited to do the same. Once a decision is made to follow Jesus, serve God, let there be no turning back.
While Jesus’ demands might seem hard, what they really reveal is the urgency of the Kingdom. St. Jerome recognized an essential point, that to know Christ better, to fix our gaze on him, to follow him as he desires and deserves to be followed, we must know Sacred Scripture better. He is famous for his saying, quoted in the Catechism, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” To fix our eyes where Jesus has fixed his, we must treasure God’s word. The same Jesus who called his disciples in the Gospel, called Saint Jerome and calls us anew today. Let us positively welcome his invitation and be steadfast like Job and committed like St Jerome.
Response: Let my prayer come into your presence, O Lord.
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