"Put God First and Everything Else Will Follow"
Today’s Gospel continues the instructions of Jesus to the apostles on what it takes to be a disciple. Jesus challenges the apostles, and us in turn, to look at what we should rank as our highest priority in life. Faith, Family, Friends, Health, Finances, and Career are all areas that require our attention. Which area should you consider to be the highest priority for this year, this month, this week, or this very day?
We receive an answer to this question in today’s Gospel reading. The seemingly severe words of Jesus about family are simply an invitation to put everything in order. When we love God first, not only do we love our family more, this love is more selfless and life-giving, free of deception and illusion.
If we seek first the Kingdom or the Reign of God in our lives, then all the other pieces of the puzzle will come together. If we realize the graciousness of our God towards us, we will extend the same graciousness to others. So, when Jesus says we must put God above our family, it means that when we center our attention on GOD, we will be able to love our family better, in a more Godly way.
If, on the other hand, we think of our family before God, we will have our priorities mixed up and may not give to our families what God wants them to have. The same is true with all the other relationships and key focus areas that we have. If we seek the Reign of God over us, everything will fit in place and we will end up being more gracious, more hospitable, more loving to everyone and in every situation.
Jesus makes it clear that there is a cost to discipleship. We need sacrifice and deeper reflection to transform our lives with our families and our friends.
Today’s gospel tells us those who seek only themselves are on the road to self-destruction. Our relationship with God, our loved ones, our community, and our world only find life through self-giving. To gain we must lose, to live we must die. But remember, whatever we lose for Jesus is never really lost but always found at a deeper level. “
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is my disciple, I assure you, he will not go unrewarded.”
(Mat 10: 42)
Let us all try, every day, to seek God first.
God bless you folks. Father Gerard
PS: Have a wonderful Canada Day this week!
