Scripture: Wed. of 31st week. Philippians 2:12-18. Psalm 27:1.4.13-14. Luke
14:25-33. Lectionary #487.

Saint Paul continues his great epistle of joy. He offers praise,
encouragement and then rejoices in the community of faithful followers of
Christ at Philippi. To him they shine like the stars because of their
faith in the word of God that he has proclaimed to them. Paul senses that
his own life is nearing the end, but because of such followers he thanks
God that he has not run the race in vain. He tells them that he has poured
out his life as a sacrificial oblation for them and now he rejoices with
them. In reading such powerful expressions of his love for them, we are
likewise encouraged by simply hearing the same message or reading it.
Psalm 27 is a psalm of confidence in the Lord who is compared to
light. We see through our faith that God is our strength and our
salvation. The psalm is only partially given to us in the liturgy but we do
capture the message from the four or five lines used with the response. In
rereading this psalm as a Christian we see that Christ is our light who
exemplifies what is said in this beautiful psalm. With Paul's total
commitment to Christ that we see throughout his writings, we, too become
confident that we are not running the race in vain on the paths that lead
to God.
Jesus, in Luke's Gospel, is midway on his journey up to Jerusalem.
During this journey we are seen in the crowds, the disciples, even in those
who are opposed to Jesus. We need to listen carefully to a call to radical
discipleship such as he gives us through this passage in Luke. It is a
tough decision to be detached from one's parents, one's friends, and
relatives, but once we follow the Lord they too become part of our call to
discipleship by our putting God first in our lives. Then through the
thematic theology of St. Luke we again are called to leave all of our
possessions aside and follow the Lord on the journey. We come to realize
through reflection on the Scriptures that the demands Jesus puts on us are
not impossible nor unreasonable. We need to balance these calls with the
light of faith, the virtue of prudence and the prioritizing what we are
called to do this day for Christ. This is what is meant by the detachment
from loved ones and also the laying aside of those things that tie us down
and do not let us reach out to those who need our prayers, our help, our
counsel. Rejoicing in the Lord, being guided by the light of the Lord and
our radical following of Jesus are the signposts for our running the race
this day. Amen.