November 5, 2025 – Wed. 31st week
Luke 14:25-33
This week's Gospel readings are all taken from the long section of Luke's Gospel that has us accompanying Jesus on His journey to Jerusalem, where He will be put to death. At this point, large crowds are following Him on this journey.
It is to these crowds—and not to a select few disciples—that Jesus outlines the requirements for anyone who wants to follow Him. These requirements can be boiled down to two: the first is what St. Benedict summarizes in his Rule with the words: “Prefer nothing to Christ” (RB 4:24). “If anyone comes to me,” says Jesus, "without preferring me to his father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. “ The second requirement is the willingness to accept all suffering, including the misunderstanding and persecution that such a radical choice may provoke. ”Whoever does not carry his cross and come after me,“ he says, ”cannot be my disciple." "
It is to the extent that, individually and collectively, we accept to live according to these demands of the Gospel, following the example of Paul who tells the Philippians that he is ready to shed his blood as a libation for them, that we will be able to make all the discernments that are required of us each day.
Armand Veilleux