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_{Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 9, 2007}
 

          Let me tell you three short stories about real people.  The first story concerns a youth minister in California.  He built an extra hour or two into his weekly schedule to hang out with his young flock at the town's mall.  When asked about his "Mall Ministry", the youth minister said:  "Jesus went where the people were, and that's where I must go too.  The kids are at the mall so that's where I must go."

          The second story concerns a woman in Dallas.  She runs a downtown shelter for the city's homeless and abandoned.  When asked about her "Shelter Ministry", she said:  "I'm simply trying to do what Jesus said to do.  He said we should love everyone, especially those most in need."

          My third and final story concerns a group of Harvard law students.  They were getting ready to graduate.  A group of our nation's most prestigious law firms invited them to a very fancy banquet in a very plush Boston hotel.  After receiving the invitation, the students made this request to the law firms:  "Could you hold the banquet in a less expensive hotel and serve a more modest meal?"  When asked about this unusual request, the students simply said, "We'd like the money saved to be given to the poor."

          These three stories, involving people I know personally, illustrate in a dramatic way the first point that Jesus makes in today’s gospel.  He says:  "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

          These somewhat harsh, confusing words of Jesus are simply an "attention-getting", provocative way of saying that our priority in life must be to Jesus and to his work of completing God’s kingdom on earth.  They are simply a provocative way of saying that as followers of Jesus, our responsibility extends beyond our flesh-and-blood family to the entire human family.  They are simply a provocative way of saying that if we want to follow Jesus, we must follow him not only into church on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, but also into our place of work or our school on Monday morning.

          And this brings us to the second point that Jesus makes in today's gospel.  He says:  "Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?"

          These words of Jesus are also an "attention-getting" way of saying that it is not enough to give top priority to God's kingdom.  We must also live out that priority no matter the cost…no matter the inconvenience, embarrassment, or pain. 

They are simply a way of saying that unless we are willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus into the workplace and school place on Monday morning, we cannot be his disciples.  They are simply a way of saying that we must be committed to Jesus and to his work!

It has been said that commitment is made up of three stages.  First, there is the fun stage.  That's when we go out and say, "I love doing this.  Why didn't I get involved sooner?"  Second, there is the intolerant stage.  That's when we go out and say, "Anyone who doesn't get involved isn't really a true Christian."  Finally, there is the reality stage.  That’s when we suddenly realize that our involvement is going to make only a microscopic dent in the problems of our world.  And this is the stage at which saints are made!

The stories of the youth minister in California, the woman in Dallas, and the law students at Harvard are stories of people who have arrived at the third stage of commitment.  They are people who realize that they are going to make only a microscopic dent in the problems of our world.  But they are also people who realize that the worse evil is to do nothing because they can only do little.

They are people who have committed themselves to Jesus and to his work, and are living it out.  They are people whose commitment makes us ask ourselves:

          "What have I done for Jesus in the past?"

          "What am I doing for Jesus in the present?"

          "What ought I do for Jesus in the future?"

          "What kind of steward am I of the gifts of time, talent, and treasure that God has bestowed on me?"

These are the questions that the Church sets before us in today’s readings and that Jesus invites us to answer in today's liturgy.

          Let me close with cute little story.  Perhaps you are familiar with it.  It sums up the message and the invitation of today's liturgy.  It compares our commitment to Jesus and his work to two people riding on a tandem bicycle, a bicycle built for two.  It goes something like this:

          "At first, I sat in front; Jesus in the rear.  I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there.  I could feel his help when the road got steep.

          Then, one day, Jesus changed seats with me.  Suddenly everything went topsy-turvy.  When I was in control, the ride was predictable…even boring.  But when Jesus took over, it got wild!  I could hardly hold on.  This is madness I cried out!  But Jesus just smiled and said, "Pedal!"

          And so I learned to shut up and pedal…and trust my bike companion.  Oh, there are still times when I get scared and I’m ready to give up.  But then Jesus turns around, touches my hand, smiles, and says, "Pedal!"

          May we all learn to "pedal" hard by sharing our gifts of time, talent, and treasure as we prayerfully live out our lives of discipleship and stewardship.  Jesus reminds us today that it's one thing to make a commitment; it's another thing to live it out.  To be true disciples and stewards of Christ we must live it out!