When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to
the other side. A scribe approached and said to him, "Teacher, I will
follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and
birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his
head." Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, let me go first
and bury my father." But Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the
dead bury their dead." (Matthew 8:18-22
)
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to
you in this meditation ready to do whatever you ask. Left to myself I often
take the easy and convenient path, yet I know the way of a Christian is through
the narrow gate. In you I find the reason to abandon the easy path for a more
perfect mission of love. I’m ready to learn the meaning of your command:
“Follow me.”
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to seek true holiness by
following after you.
1. Follow His Footsteps: The transition to becom ing a disciple is not an
easy one. While a disciple generously hands over his own will to the Lord
unconditionally, the scribe in today’s passage still seeks his own will, as
noble as it may be. A disciple is born from an invitation: “Follow me .” This
scribe does not yet have the total freedom of heart that life with Christ
demands. Where do I stand? One becomes identified with Christ not through a
mere accumulation of doctrine, principles and techniques, but by living a
common life with Christ born from union with the Master’s will. May I hear
Christ’s voice setting the pace of holiness in my life and inviting me to leave
behind my own will for the new life he presents.
2. Choosing the Better Way : Christ does not coldly ignore the scribe, but seeks
to attract him to a different way of life, a life of simple poverty. Our Lord’s
own self-emptying poverty goes beyond the lot of the poorest of men. What
Christ’s poverty shows, however, is not misery. Rather, it compels and
attracts, for it is an infallible sign of the richness of God from whom Christ
lives and moves. Christ’s living example empowers men to leave their world for
something better, nobler and more worthy of the life they have been given. May
my example also compel others to find a better way, a holier way.
3. Shunning Shoddy Sophisms: There is an almost ruthless quality to Christ’s
response to the sophisms and excuses offered to avoid following him. Detachment
from all personal wants and desires is the way to simplicity of heart.
Simplicity of heart requires us to be brutally honest with ourselves. What
comes first in our life? What is really moving our heart to make the choices we
make? Is it God’s will? God’s will for us is never complicated; perhaps it may
be difficult, but it is never complicated. Sometimes , under the pretext of
doing good , we rationalize not doing what is better. We do not need
sophisticated analyses assessing how many obstacles there are to doing God’s
will . All we need to clear the path to its perfect fulfillment is a generous
heart.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know you have called me; I ask for your
strength to respond with simplicity and fortitude. I have heard your voice and
I now answer.
Resolution: Today I will live better my vocation in life
and, in particular, fulfill some obligation that I normally put off.
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