Spiritual Awakening When Things are Left on God

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: September 07, 2025

Readings: Wisdom 9:13–18; Psalm 90:3–6, 12–17; Philemon 1:9–10, 12–17; Luke 14:25–33

God has blessed us with human intelligence. It is to make the best use of it for our growth, development, joy and happiness. However, God has created us as unique and special beings in this world. We distinguish ourselves by the way we make use of our intelligence. The ultimate purpose of our intelligence is to make this world and our life beautiful. Through our intelligence, we are called to be co-creators with God. In other words, we are invited to be part of God's vision. The realization of God's vision is that the human person is fully alive and active in this world. The liturgical readings, especially the Gospel passage for this Sunday, invite us to make the best use of our intelligence. That's why Jesus suggests a few practical tips, perhaps business tips on how to build a house, how to defend or win over an enemy and finally how to be a true disciple of our Lord. 

1. True discipleship costs personal ambitions

In today’s Gospel Luke 14:25–33, Jesus speaks words that can sound hard to our ears: “Whoever does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even life itself, cannot be my disciple… Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” These words are not a rejection of family or of life itself, but a reminder that following Jesus requires total freedom of heart and complete commitment. It is to make a good judgment about one's life. Following the Lord is a commitment which might sometimes have to go against one's close family circles as well. 

Jesus is inviting us to examine what place we hold for God in our lives. Often, we say that God is first, but in practice, other things quietly take His place—ambition, security, comfort, riches, power, prestige, honour or even our own fears. St Ignatius of Loyola calls them as enemies of human nature. Just as one who builds a tower first calculates the cost, or a king weighs his strength before going to battle, so too must we consider the cost of discipleship. To be a follower of Christ is not simply about admiration or convenience; it is about decision, sacrifice, and trust.

2. True resilience comes from God

Even though this Gospel is challenging, it is not meant to discourage us, but to awaken us. It is important to think deeply before we act. Jesus invites us to go deeper into the reality that is called God. To enter into the depth dimension of God, we must make use of our intelligence first; in fact, we must develop critical thinking. We cannot accept whatever looks nice and beautiful outside. We must enter into the reality of the mystery of our lives and try to grapple with it to know the Will of God.

Jesus makes us aware that by doing God's Will, bring order and meaning to our lives. When God becomes the center, our relationships, our work, our dreams—even our struggles—find their proper place. Carrying our cross does not mean looking for suffering, but embracing the challenges of daily life with faith, patience, and perseverance, knowing that God walks with us. When we are focused on him, then all the fatalities, including disasters in this world and terrible losses and pain in our lives have a meaning. If not only negativity, depression, and even loss of faith in one's ability to come back to life will become part of life. The true resilience in our lives comes only from God. 

3. Light outshines darkness by God's help

In the book of Wisdom 9:13–18, we see King Solomon’s prayer for wisdom. Who can know the counsel of God or what God intends for us. Even though we are mortals, subject to physical, mental and spiritual stumbling blocks and have limited intelligence, yet we do pray for wisdom and intelligence. So often, we struggle to understand the meaning of life’s events. Our plans fail, our strength falters, and the path ahead seems clouded. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Left to ourselves, our judgments are limited and our vision blurred.

In spite of all this, we still thirst.  We still ache.  We still yearn.  We still await.  Sometimes there is dysfunction. Sometimes even those closest to us can hurt us. Fortunately, we do get the realization often at the end that God does not leave us in confusion. He sends His Spirit of wisdom to guide our hearts. What seems impossible for human reason alone becomes clear when we open ourselves to God’s presence. His Spirit helps us to discern, to see beyond appearances, and to make choices that lead to peace and life. Even those dark days of our lives, our sickness, bad health reports or lonely days on the bed struggling to keep our hopes alive have a meaning when everything is accepted and healed. This is the beauty of our lives.

Questions for self-reflection

1. What am I clinging to that prevents me from following Christ more freely?
2. How can I allow Jesus to be the foundation of my decisions this week?
3. Do I rely only on my own reasoning, or do I make space for God’s wisdom in prayer and silence?
4. Where in my life do I need the Spirit’s light to help me see clearly?

Prayer

Lord, we thank You for the gift of Your wisdom and light. You remind us that our understanding is limited, yet Your Spirit guides us into truth. Help us to place You at the center of our lives, so that all our relationships, decisions, and dreams may be rooted in Your love. Give us the courage to follow Christ generously, even when the path is difficult and the cross is heavy. In moments of doubt and fear, shine Your light upon us, and remind us that with Your help, light will always outshine darkness. Grant us patience in trials, hope in struggles, and joy in carrying our daily crosses with faith. We make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ
05 September 2025