Just a word before we go…Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time…September 4, 2022

Tomorrow, (today), Pope Francis will beatify the last Italian-born pope.  Pope John Paul I will continue on the path to sainthood; the final step of canonization is not expected to be long in coming. 

John Paul I is notable for several reasons.  He rose through the clerical ranks, being appointed a cardinal in 1973. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and remained a staunch supporter of its promulgations. Known as a humble, pastoral presence, he famously quipped: “If someone had told me I would be Pope one day, I would have studied harder.”  His reign was the shortest, a mere 33 days.  Although his death was attributed to a heart attack or a stroke, his demise so early in his pontificate created much speculation as to the real cause.  The meaning of his brief appearance on the world stage remains a mystery, but perhaps John Paul I can exemplify for us a life well-lived, a life of discerning through experiences, tradition, reflection and faith, unsure where the road was leading, but moving ahead on one’s path as it present itself.

Jesus tells us today in our Gospel that we must pick up our cross in order to follow him. The cost of that discipleship is never clear at the outset, but gradually is revealed throughout our lives.  Jesus’ tactic of using hyperbole  -  such as that of hating your parents -  is an attempt to shock his listeners into paying attention to their priorities, keeping God at the center, from which center the rest of life will unfold. The self-giving that is a hallmark of being a disciple is not an embrace of unnecessary suffering, but is rather a considering of the need that presents itself in your path and responding in a Christ-like manner; in other words, it is loving.

In my experience, discipleship is not like building a tower, or deploying an army; nor is it a matter of power, or strength or show.  It is more like a love story, and like every love story it unfolds gradually, in stages, and is composed of many layers. It is different for each of us, but the common denominator of each of our journeys is love, and the demands that love places upon us. For I am convinced that at the end of our days, the one question that will be asked of each of us is, “How well did you love?”