“Skeptics always want miracles such as stepping down from the Cross”

“To know the Cross is not merely to know our own sufferings. For the Cross is the sign of salvation, and no man is saved by his own sufferings. To know the Cross is to know that we are saved by the sufferings of Christ; more, it is to know the love of Christ Who underwent suffering and death in order to save us. It is, then, to know Christ.” ― Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. (1915 – 1968: American Catholic writer and a Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani)

Gospel Text: (MT 10:34—11:1)
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

We need to pay attention to the ways in which we are being called—commanded—to follow Jesus as his disciples. The cost of discipleship is not just to the Cross but through the Cross to new life! Where we will recognize and welcome the prophet, the righteous and most especially Jesus who is the Word made flesh. He is that sharp edged sword that can cut through the indecisions of our life, to inspire us when we are being called to take that further step in following him.