"I will follow you wherever you go"

“I will follow you wherever you go.”

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mission: To be aware that following Jesus makes demand on us.

Jesus may make difficult demands of us. He suffers rejection, he has no home to go to, he has a duty to perform, to go forward whatever the cost. We cannot expect better treatment than he endures; it is only through the strength given by the holy spirit that we can achieve the resolution of true followers.

It is the strength to keep on starting again, looking forward, spreading the word of the kingdom.

Luke 9:51-62 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[a]?”55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.

51

57

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

58

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 60

61

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” 62

Time to respond  What

special events mark out the path you have walked with Jesus?

 How

can you go on following Jesus?

 What

sacrifices are you prepared to make in order to be a good follower of Jesus?

 How

do we know Jesus is always with us as we follow him?

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Footprints in the sand.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."

How can you follow Jesus in your own life?

We pray together Lord Jesus, We know that sometimes it will be hard to keep on following you. Help us to remember that your holy spirit will always be with us.

Help us never to give up.

Amen