Gospel: July 1, 2024

(Monday)

13th Week in Ordinary Time

Psalter: Week 1 / (Green/White)

St. Junipero Serra, priest

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 50: 16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23

Remember this, you who never think of God.

1st Reading: Amos 2: 6-10, 13-16

Yahweh says this, “Because Israel has sinned, not once but three times; and even more, I will not relent; They sell the just for money and the needy for a pair of sandals; they tread on the head of the poor and trample them upon the dust of the earth, while they silence the right of the afflicted; a man and his father go to the same woman to profane my holy name; they stretch out upon garments taken in pledge, beside every altar; they take the wine of those they swindle and are drunk in the house of their God.

It was I who destroyed the Amorites before them, whose height was like the height of the cedar; a people as sturdy as an oak. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.

It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt and led you 40 years in the wilderness to take possession of the land of the Amorites.

Behold, I will crush you to the ground, as a cart does when it is full of sheaves. The swift shall be unable to flee and the strong man shall lose his strength. The warrior shall not save himself nor the bowman stand his ground. The swift of foot shall not escape nor the horseman save himself. Even the most stout-hearted among the warriors shall flee away naked on that day,” says Yahweh.

Gospel: Matthew 8: 18-22

When Jesus saw the crowd pressing around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. A teacher of the law approached him; and said, “Master, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Another disciple said to him “Lord, let me go and bury my father first.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

Reflection:“No looking back.”

It is easy to follow the Lord who performs miracles like healing the sick and raising the dead. It gives us certain sense of security when we know that the Jesus who has the power over hopeless situations is the one who is at our side. It is more enticing to follow a master who gives us comfort, like assuring us of a place to rest when we are physically tired or of emotional support when we feel down. But being Jesus’ disciples does not only mean having power and security over hopeless situations. Moreover, it does not always promise a comfortable life. In our previous reflections, we were taught by Jesus about lessons concerning discipleship. We are challenged to practice the teachings we learned from Jesus. Now, as we begin another month in this particular journey of faith, we are faced with the challenge to follow Jesus even if it does not promise security and comfort. Today’s Gospel narrates Jesus telling the one who wanted to follow him of the fact that the Son of Man has no place to rest. Further, the one who decides to follow him must no longer look back. Seriously then, are we ready to follow Jesus?