13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, year’A’ Whoever welcomes me welcomes He who sent me 2 R4, 8-11 Ps 88 Rm 63-4 Mt 10, 37-42 « He who loves his mother or father more than me is unworthy of me ; he who loves his son or daughter more than me is unworthy of me » Jesus is endowed with Inner Strength ; thanks to God’s Holy Spirt we too can enter into His own Strength. It may surprise us to learn that it doesn’t come naturally to receive one’s own father, mother, son or daughter in God’s Love. The Word of God requires us to grow in God’s Love. He who asks this of us is Jesus, who took up His own Cross thus revealing how deep and real is His Love for each one of us ;He asks us to follow Him. This is a Call from Jesus to anyone who wants to save his own life ( a widespread illusion nowdays). In taking a path where we wish to save oneself, we can see just how humanity is in the process of losng its very own heart, that whch is most precious for us. Jesus invites us to come to join Him in His Ressurection, in the Power of His Life hidden within Him, this hidden Power of Life. The Word ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind » has us take stock of the fact that Jesus is calling us to the truth of our faith in him as we prefer all love to His. « Whoever doeasn’t take up his Cross and follow me is unworthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it ; whoever loses his life because of me will keep it. » If we are to fully understand what Jesus is telling us, we only have to remind ourselves of how Peter denied Jesus and refused to follow him for a time. He very soon realised that by wantng to save hs life himself he would lose it. Peter cried bitterly, his repentant tears would lead him to give His life to Christ again. In losing hs life for Christ on this earth he saved it in Him, in the Eternity of Heaven. So for each one of us the question is fundamentally do we want to choose to take hold of our life, our perishable self, or do we choose Immortal Jesus. Who do we want to live for, for ourselves or for God. We receive full Life when we realise that there is nothng self destructive when we give our life to God , on the contrary, we live like this a happy exchange of love and of life. Jesus goes further in calling each and every one of us to give up his own life and follow Him. This is one of the most freeing Words of the Gospel.

Whoever welcome you, welcomes me ; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in his quality of prophet will recieve a prophet’s reward ; whoever welcomes a just man, in his quality of justice will receve a reward of justice. And whoever gives a mere glass of fresh water to one of theses little ones in his quality of disciples, amen I tell you, no, he will not lose his reward.’ Baptised in Jesus’ death, we lead a new life. We have passed from death with Christ and we beleieve that we shall also live with him. It is such a great Joy to feel we live for God in Jesus Christ. This is how we get out of a world where everything passes and so we open up to a life that never ends. Surrendering to Him in this way, we recieve in our heart each day a hundredfold in everythng, and also Eternal Life . After having taught us to not to prefer anythng or anyone to the Love of Christ Jesus, the Gospel invites us to welcome Jesus in those he sends. The Father sent Jesus hs Son and he comes to us in all his goodness. He , the Lord, turns himself into a servant so as to show us he is gentle and humble of heart. With a love that is from before all time, he covers us in his Infinite Tenderness. Jesus cherishes in his heart the notion of hospatlity and so there is nothing as beautful as welcoming each other mutually, even with a glass of fresh water as long as in our hearts we have a real fraternal love. We ask for the grace of welcome, hospitality and thanksgiving.