The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, July 17, 2001
The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Kings 19:16,19-21
Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-11
Galatians 5:1,13-18
Luke 9:51-62
Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
A Reflection on today's Scripture:
Christ's words to the young man, "Let the dead bury their dead" may
seem harsh, but only because they are not understood in the context
of Jesus' day. In the "east" there was then a tradition that a man
was not free to leave home until he had fulfilled his duties to his
father. This young man's father was undoubtedly still alive and
likely to live for many more years.
Jesus' wisdom saw that if the man let this moment's impulse to follow
Him pass by, the chances were that upon his return home he would find
many reasons not to go back. Our Lord knew that we humans are
besieged by many weaknesses that impede our following His call --
laziness, fear, procrastination, indecision and selfishness.
The lures of this world are very strong (money, security, success,
power, esteem) and often overpower our finest impulses. One wonders
how many of our young people today are being seduced by the world's
empty and temporary promises into saying, "no" to Christ's call to
the priesthood and religious life.
Secularism teaches that we are products of a mindless evolution,
accountable only to ourselves and become fulfilled through satisfying
our individual desires; then life ends in a dusty grave. Christ warns
us against our hesitating to get out of this dead society; for as
time passes, we become entrenched in the world's ways and lose our
vision of far greater blessings.
- Marie L. Bocko ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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