Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - 26th week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 57-62 - I have lost everything; I consider everything as garbage, in order to gain one advantage, Christ, and in him to be recognized as righteous.

Dear Christians, the Gospel reminds us today of the conditions for following Christ.

First, whatever the passion, whatever the zeal: to be Christian is an irrevocable decision. One accepts to be totally helpless, that is, to leave everything behind.

Secondly, to leave incessantly, because salvation is urgent. Even in the face of the most rooted traditions, may the Gospel always have the last word. This is what it means to be a Christian: to give oneself to God unconditionally and indefinitely. To follow Christ is to live the life of God and to hope for eternal life.

Third, to abandon the family. The family of origin is very important in Eastern culture and the Fourth Commandment governs mutual respect. In another verse of the gospel, Jesus makes it clear that those who do not hate their father and mother, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends cannot be His disciples. In short, the kingdom of God is worth sacrificing everything. Amen.