Today, Anne O’Brien, Director of Mission, reads from Luke’s Gospel (14: 25-33) in which Jesus says ‘anyone who does not carry their cross and come after me cannot be my disciple’.

Anne says this makes me think of our buy now pay later society – we’ve all seen the adds – fill in the form and soon you’ll a wonderful new sofa, a fantastic new mattress, that sounds system you’ve always wanted or a massive television screen, however, sooner or later you’ll need to pay it back and pay the interest, which just adds to the debt and the headaches.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus recommends that we look at our spiritual balance sheets. Is it cost effective in the long run, to have everything we want in this life or to be more disciplined and keep heaven in mind?  It is not much fun to pick up our daily cross and plod along the road to Calvary in Jesus’s company. Nobody, actually, wants to be crucified and, yet, we’d all like to be part of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday morning.

Easter Sunday only happened because of Good Friday. Jesus knew that. He knew if he continued to challenge the authorities, he would have to pay the earthly price.  However, the personal cost was worth it.  He opened up for us a way to the Father. Perhaps, we might also look at our own lives – do we accept the cross and follow Jesus? Or do we take the easy way out?  The choice is ours to make.

Let’s take some time today to challenge ourselves with those thoughts – do we accept the cross and follow Jesus or do we take the easy way out?  The choice is ours.

Anne finishes with a little prayer:
Loving Lord, give me the clear sight and the wisdom to make the right choices in life. Let me not be afraid to take up the cross and accompany you to Calvary. Amen