One of the most difficult passages in The Bible is in Today’s Reading from Luke 9:57-62. It ends with a person who has seen Jesus and was very impressed!
“And another said, ‘I will follow You, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.'”
For the past 2,000 years, people have learned about Jesus fulfilling over 300 Prophecies about the Messiah in the Bible. We have all said variations of the same thing: “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me” resolve some worldly concern that keeps us from Being Catholic.
Jesus tells us all what he said to that man: “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.”
Mt. 4:18-22 tells us how quickly Peter and Andrew obeyed His call: “Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers. They were Simon (his other name was Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were putting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” At once they left their nets and followed Him.”
Similarly, James and John were mending their nets in Mt. 4:18-22. When Jesus called, “they immediately left the boat and their father to follow Him.”
Matthew 9:9-13 tells us how quickly a tax collector left his most worldly of concerns: “As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow Me.’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.”
Those First Catholic Bishops immediately left worldly concerns behind. They served God in The Only Church Spoken Into Being by Christ’s Church-Creating Word to His First Catholic Pope: “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
From that day to this, Catholic priests and religious have left worldly concerns to help us “set our hands to the plow” and be blessed to have The Seven Catholic Sacraments prepare our souls for Heaven.
~
Today’s Simple Rhyme: “Is it a sin / to follow men / who think they know more than Jesus?”
~
