Mushrooms grow in the oddest places. They do not make excuses for showing up in the least expected spots. They just do. We should be as committed to showing up in the hard places, sometimes the dark spaces, of life.

In today’s Gospel, Luke has Jesus discussing the cost of discipleship. When someone says to him that he will follow him wherever he goes, Christ warns him that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. To another who is invited to follow Jesus, Christ says to him that the dead must bury their own dead. If he wanted to follow Jesus, he must go and preach the kingdom of God. To a third who wants to follow but first wants to say goodbye to his loved ones, Jesus replies that you cannot look back once you start to follow. Each of these potential disciples may have a hard time showing up.

Life can throw curve balls, fast balls, and slow pitches. Some days you expect one thing, and instead, something else happens. Other days, you can be left wondering what on earth just whizzed by. At other times, the waiting can be excruciating. You never know what is going to spring up where. The Gospel today I think shows us that we must ready at any given moment in any given place to proclaim the Good News and to follow Jesus into the unknown. This requires a great deal of trust. Can we say yes without any excuses or trying to rationalize it?

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What reasons do you have for not following Jesus?
Where is the oddest place that you have proclaimed the Kingdom of God?

Prayer

Make my heart pure, Lord Jesus
so that when you invite me to follow You
I can say a wholehearted yes
without any disclaimers.

Amen.