Total Yes
Wednesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Luke 9:57-62 - As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, "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." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“I will follow you, but…”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
We are like this, aren’t we? We love the Lord, but we have another great love too. We love ourselves! We love being in charge, having pleasure, being comforted, honored, safe. We say we want to follow the Lord… But do we want to follow Him if it means giving up the other good things in which we seek happiness? Everyone in this Gospel story wants Christ. The problem is they don’t want Him enough.
There comes a point, as we grow in the Christian life, when temptations to evil things don’t have such a hold on us, and they don’t threaten our relationship with God as much, perhaps, as they used to. It is at this point that we need to learn to separate ourselves even from good things, called attachments, that keep us from loving God with our whole hearts. We are attached to something when we have a disordered love for it. To draw closer to God we have to become detached from everything but God. This doesn’t mean we should hate what is good; it just means that we should prioritize. For us, even good things have to come after the greatest thing, God. Consider in prayer what good things keep us from a deeper union with God. Then, consider sacrificing one of these things in order to become less attached to it. Finally, beg God in prayer to increase our love for Him.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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