Making Our Choice

When I was first ordained I was greatly encouraged in my spiritual life by the writings of a Scottish priest, Father John Dalrymple. In one of his books, published 50 years ago and entitled Costing Not Less Than Everything: Notes on Holiness Today, he explored the theme of holiness in a contemporary context. I was reminded of this book while reflecting on the words of this Sunday’s Gospel, about counting the cost.

Dalrymple took his title from T.S. Eliot’s poem Little Gidding.

Quick now, here, now, always —
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.

Jesus laid out quite starkly the cost of following him. “If a man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his one life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Hating father and mother is very strong language. We find in Matthew 10:37 it is softened to “love more than”. The term “hate” (misein) is the opposite of “love” (agapaō).

It is important to realise that these terms denote attitudes, and modes of action, not emotions. The point is not how one feels toward parents and family but one’s effective attitude when it comes to a choice for the kingdom. The choice involved, in these terms, is clear from Luke 16:13: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

The choice for each of us is simple, if we really want to be a disciple of Jesus, and his follower.

Lord give me the grace to be detached from the possession of anything material, emotional or even spiritual — which would lessen my ability to say to you  ‘You are my all; in you alone is my heart at rest.’