Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.
Lk. 14:31-33
Ketchup is a wonderful thing. You put it on top (or pour for some of us) without having to change the meal itself. Like all condiments, it can accentuate a good meal or cover up a not-so-good meal.
There is a danger though when we treat our relationship with Jesus Christ and life in His church as ketchup. At times our faith life is something that we put on to accentuate our own lives, make us feel better or more comfortable. Other times we can put on faith in order to cover up something which is not so good within us. Jesus and a life in His church isn’t ketchup—it changes us entirely, it transforms the meal and the offering which we are meant to be.
Jesus clearly calls those who follow Him to not settle for a surface level adjustment but to be detached from all aspects of our lives and be radically transformed as we follow Him. What courage it takes to truly be a missionary disciple.
Do I treat my life with Christ as an “extra” or “condiment” in my life?
Jesus, I give you permission to transform all of me.
Today's Reflection is by...
Fr. Chuck Dornquast
Did you know…
Fr. Chuck Dornquast is a son of St. Joseph Parish in Zephyrhills. After graduating from Zephyrhills High School he entered the seminary where he would spend the next 9 years. While in seminary he spent time at many of our diocesan parishes and discovered more and more the heart of Christ the High Priest within him. After ordination, he spent his first 4 years of priesthood as the associate pastor of St. Lawrence in Tampa. He currently serves the Diocese of St. Petersburg as the Director of Vocations.
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