Reading from the book of Wisdom WIS 9:13-18b
Who can know God’s counsel,
or who can conceive what the LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight. The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass, Which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Reading from St. Paul’s letter to PHILEMON PHMN 9-10, 12-17
I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. PS 119:135
Let your face shine upon your servant; and teach me your laws.
R. Alleluia, alleluia
P: The Lord be with you.
P: A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
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? Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
HOMILY
We have started the month of September and this reminds us that
summer is coming to an end and we will soon start the winter routine with
all the commitments this brings with it. Sometimes this period feels like
we start on autopilot mode and if we speak about reflection, we might
say, this is not for me because I am too busy.
Jesus addresses the crowds today – the crowds mean people like you and
me. People who lead busy lives. So the first question we need to answer is
whether or not we really want to journey with Jesus – to have a
commitment – to build a relationship with him.
Today’s gospel speaks about the high cost of discipleship. Jesus today gives
us 3 hard formulas of choices so as to speak. The first one concerns family
ties. The word “hate” seems like an exaggeration but this underlines the
priority we should give to God’s kingdom. Placing God before the family is
a difficult choice.
The 2 nd involves suffering. You and I must be able to pick up our cross or
crosses. The cross does not only indicate heaviness (physical torment) but
also shame. Am I willing to feel ashamed because of Jesus? Am I afraid to
choose the truth (that is, JC) rather than myself? We are called to follow
Jesus’ example of offering our suffering (whether physical, emotional or
spiritual or even shame) for the sake of God’s kingdom.
The third saying is renouncing material goods which means placing things
in their proper place. Not in the way I want but in the perspective of God’s
kingdom. Giving priority to God rather than possessions.
With such a high price what makes discipleship possible is the grace of
God. We are not alone. We can deal with the cost of discipleship only if we
are convinced that God is with us, directing and helping us along the way.
Jesus offered his disciples a priceless treasure: true happiness, peace and
joy unending in everlasting life. Jesus was utterly honest and spared no
words to tell us that it would cost us dearly to follow him.
There is no room for compromise or concession with God. We either give
our lives completely or keep it to ourselves. These are the choices we
should make. God over family, God over the illusion of a life without
suffering and God over possessions.
This Sunday, the Church declares Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati as
saints — two young men from different times, yet both embraced the
radical call of discipleship that we hear in today’s Gospel.
Carlo, a teenager of our time, placed God above all — above family,
popularity, above comfort, even above the digital world he loved.
Pier Giorgio, full of energy and potential, chose to carry the cross of silent
suffering and sacrifice while pouring his life out in service to the poor.
Neither of them lived easy lives. But both of them made the hard choices
Jesus speaks about: God over family expectations, God over personal
comfort, God over possessions.
Their canonization is not just a celebration of their lives, but a challenge to
ours. They remind us that even in our busy, modern routines — holiness is
possible.
So as we go back into our routines, let’s not go on autopilot. Let’s
remember that Jesus still calls crowds like us — ordinary people — to
follow Him with extraordinary love. The cost is great, yes, but the reward
is even greater: true joy, peace, and a life in abundance.
May Carlo and Pier Giorgio intercede for us, that we too may walk the
narrow path with courage, and one day join them among the saints.
BIDDING PRAYERS:
Let us call upon God to lavish the Spirit of wisdom upon our church and world.
Our invocation is, “God, send us your Spirit of wisdom.”
- God, uphold all who work as international negotiators for peace and reconciliation among enemies. We pray: “God, send us your Spirit of wisdom.”
- Strengthen Pope Leon and bishops of the church as they appeal for the life of those condemned to death. We pray: “God, send us your Spirit of wisdom.”
Enlighten with good counsel those who seek to discern your will, particularly those contemplating marriage or religious vocations. We pray: “God, send us your Spirit of wisdom.”
- Enable Christians to affirm all people begotten in Christ as brothers and sisters without distinction to race or social standing. We pray: “God, send us your Spirit of wisdom.”
God of love, through your Holy Spirit draw us into deeper intimacy with Christ that we may live your word in its fullness. Grant our prayers through Christ, our Lord.
