St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are in the thirteenth ordinary Sunday of year A. In the first reading we hear how the prophet Elisha was welcomed by a rich woman and extended her hospitality by providing food and shelter. She also recognized that Elisha was a holy man of God and so her piety was thus revealed alongside her generosity. Elisha, recognizing her barrenness, blesses her that within a year she will have a baby boy. When a guest or visitor arrives at our home, how do we respect, honor and extend hospitality?

The second reading speaks of the divine gift of new life. St. Paul cannot speak of this new life without also recognizing the death from which it emerges. It is Christ’s death that allows for us to partake in eternal life in the presence of God. How do we strive each day to be spiritually born to new life in Jesus Christ by our baptism and faith in our Lord?

In the gospel, our Lord presents discipleship in terms of worthiness and hospitality. In prioritizing discipleship over familial relationships, Jesus is by no means diminishing the importance of these relationships, instead, He demonstrates that the true discipleship transcends even these relationships. Our vocation as disciples of Christ should come first in how we model our lives. How do we want to respond to the invitation of our Diocese, in making disciples, choosing priorities and being a true disciple?

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony