September 5, 2010:  The 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Pondering the Word…

“Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and

 calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?”

Sounds like a logical question…I wonder what Jesus would say about credit cards and real estate speculation! These days, it is all too easy to embark on a financial venture without having a clear idea of the end cost. Sometimes, we can do that with our spiritual life as well.

This Gospel reading is a challenging one, and that is precisely what Jesus intends: to challenge the “great crowds” that were following him, and to challenge us as well. By using exaggeration and hyperbole--we need to “hate” those persons closest to us and renounce all our possessions--Jesus makes the point that nothing in our lives, not even our loved ones, can take precedence over our relationship with God. The word “hate” is not to be considered literal in the sense of how we interpret it today. Jesus uses this strong word to make sure that, even though it might be exciting to be among the crowds following him, we must strive to understand the cost of discipleship before we make a commitment we can’t keep.

Which begs the questions, “What, then, are we to make of the reading from Wisdom, which says that we can barely understand things of this world, much less things of heaven? How are we to understand the cost of discipleship when we ‘cannot conceive what the Lord intends’?”

Perhaps the hardest thing about being a disciple—something even harder to give up than those we love or our possessions—is our need to understand and to have control of what happens in our lives. Renouncing our own will and our desire to know the “reasons why,” in favor of what God has in store, can be the most difficult thing we encounter when we set out to follow Christ.

This is the question we need to ask ourselves as we calculate the cost of true discipleship: “Do I have the resources, the strength to put aside my own will and let God be the architect of my life?”

Living the Word…

The “tower of discipleship” we set out to build is a life-long project. We work at it each day, sometimes building it up, and sometimes having to tear down a bit, through sorrow and contrition for mistakes, so that the tower can remain stable and true.

But unlike the man in the Gospel deemed foolish because he lacked resources to complete his project, our resource is a stockpile of grace, which can only be accessed through daily prayer. Even if we are set in the foundation of the sacraments, we will not be able to build a strong “tower” without praying each day for the strength to see and live God’s will for us.

Daily prayer need not be complex or even time-consuming. When I am distracted or overwhelmed, I find a fervent and heartfelt “Our Father,” with special emphasis on “thy will be done” is far better prayer than going through the motions of a half-hearted, unfocused reading of the daily scripture.

Give yourself the time and the pure luxury of prayer each day. It is a gift you certainly deserve!

“Prayer does not change God, but changes the one who prays.”

(Sören Kierkegaard, slightly adapted)

Elaine Ireland has a passion for working with parents and anyone who struggles to maintain a sense of God’s love and peace amid the day-to-day challenges of life. She has a master’s degree in Spiritual and Pastoral Care from the Pastoral Counseling department at Loyola, Maryland, with a focus on developmental psychology and spiritual guidance.  Rooted in Ignatian spirituality, she is a writer, retreat and workshop leader, and presenter on topics such as pastoral parenting, “letting go,” and finding the spiritual in the midst of everyday life. She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland with her husband, Mark and children, David and Maggie.

We hope you enjoy "Come and See!" and we welcome your input. Please contact Elaine Ireland at ehireland@loyola.edu with questions, comments, and responses.

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