Wednesday 6 November 2024

Today is Wednesday the 6th of November in the 31st week of Ordinary Time. Steffany Gretzinger sings, ‘Knowing You’. Can you make these your own words today, as you continue on your journey of following Christ? All I once held dear, built my life upon All this world reveres and wants to own All I once thought gain, I have counted loss Spent and worthless now, compared to this Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You There is no greater thing You're my all, You're the best You're my joy, my righteousness And I love You, Lord Now my heart's desire is to know You more To be found in You and known as Yours To possess by faith what I could not earn All-surpassing gift of righteousness Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You There is no greater thing You're my all, You're the best You're my joy, my righteousness And I love You, Lord Oh, to know the power of Your risen life And to know You in Your sufferings To become like You in Your death, oh Lord So with You to live and never die Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You There is no greater thing You're my all, You're the best You're my joy, my righteousness And I love You, Lord Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 14:25-33 Now large crowds were travelling with [Jesus]; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. Jesus wants us to love as well as we can love, knowing that this will bring suffering sometimes. Given that every life brings suffering, might you prefer a life whose hardships come from being close to Christ? Where has following him brought you challenges and difficulties already? Talk to him about this . . . Listen again to Jesus explaining the life of a disciple. Imagine the expressions on the disciples' faces as they listen to him . . . If you are in that crowd hearing this, what do you want to do about it? Take that to Jesus and share it with him . . . Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.