True leaders walk in obedience and fulfill the work of the Father to reach the world.

“On each occasion I say: ‘Lord, thy will be done! It’s not what this or that one wants, but what You want me to do.’ This is my fortress, this is my firm rock, this is my sure support.” –-St. John Chrysostom

Gospel text: (MT 8:18-22)
When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”

“Lord, I will follow you….when I’m ready.”

We start with good intentions to please the Lord; our genuine heart wants to follow and obey. It sounds easy to do, but when we’re put to the test, it never seems to be convenient. There are things we want to do first, or the timing isn’t right and a myriad of other excuses start to pile up.

Today’s Gospel reading gives us a perfect example of a man who wants to follow Jesus, but only after he takes care of burying his father. Jesus basically tells him, “It’s now or never!” He doesn’t ask us to obey tomorrow, in two weeks or five years from now—it’s today! Obedience is not easy, especially when it’s not on our terms. Matthew 26:41 says “…the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” and that is the truth. Living this life is about battling our flesh every day. We are called to pick up our cross and follow him. What is more important than that?