Renounce

  

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110514.cfm) reminds me that we should be ready to renounce everything from God.

There are a lot of stories of people renouncing things in the name of love or a cause. Some renounce inheritance or the acceptance of their family just to fight for their loved one. It’s a “you-and-me-against-the-world” attitude or mentality, they are willing to go against everything and everyone for the sake of their love, or for the sake of what they believe it. This shows how much importance someone or something has.

In the gospel, this is also the attitude God wants from us.

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
…

In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple

God does not want us to go hating our family or argue with our family. In fact, the other day we were reminded how much God wants us to honor and respect our parents. However, our love for parents or family should not come in between our love for God.

Nothing should come in between our love for God.

God should be God in our lives. Family relationships, work, business, possessions or any other belief should come before God. When we say we love God and want to follow Him, we should be ready to go all out. To love God with all that we have. This is the first commandment.

God does not ask that we live like many of the saints, who renounced all material possession they had and lived in poverty. We need these things not just to survive, but to be able to help and bless others as well. Blessings are meant to be shared. We are just reminded today that these things should not take the place of God in our lives.

May we be ready to follow God and love God above all.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for your great love that you make me feel everyday. Thank you for all the blessings, especially those I tend to ignore or take for granted. Lord, thank you for the reminder today. Help me be detached from anything and everything of this world. May nothing and no one come before you in my life. May I always be ready to renounce everything in this world for you. Amen

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-