Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus and his disciples were prevented from entering a Samaritan town because they were on their way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans believed God was in their temple, not the temple in Jerusalem. The disciples asked Jesus if he wanted them to “call down fire from heaven to consume” the town. They had no idea how to do that but they had seen Jesus work many wonders and wanted Hin to do it.
Jesus knew that God is not constrained to a temple or other building and that such an attitude reveals a belief that we can confine God to a place where we can occasionally go to visit Him, say some prayers, and hope He will stay while we go out an live our life without Him. On the journey several people had the opportunity to follow Jesus, but gave a variety of excuses, including “. . . first let me say farewell to my family at home.” As Catholics we believe our life is from God and in God. We cannot confine God to a place or a religious practice. And, if we are a true disciple of Jesus, we can put no conditions on following and imitating Jesus.
~Fr. Kalombo
