13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 19:16,19 – 21
Gal 5:2,13-18
Lk 9:51-62
Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
I was meeting with a few friends last week and we were reflecting on how fast time flies. I noticed a sense of regret creeping into their conversations and the inevitable, “I wish I could have done more in…” I found myself joining in the same mode and realise that the readings of today do remind us that life is too short to be distracted by other things.
Jesus calls us to surrender totally to His plan in today’s Gospel. There were many requests and desires to join Him but He reminded each one of them that the kingdom of God required total commitment. In particular, I like to reflect on the difference between Elisha’s response to Elijah, and the last person in the Gospel who said he wanted to say goodbye to the people at home. Both made the request to say goodbye to the people at home but it was Elisha who had the heart to follow God totally. We read in the last verse of the first reading that Elisha broke the plough. This must have been a considerable effort on his part because it meant that Elisha ‘broke’ away from his former profession. For each one of us to break away from our former profession requires a tremendous amount of courage.
This may prove to be difficult for some of us as we continue with our daily lives without considering the plan which Jesus has in store for us. It may be good for us to take time to pause and ask ourselves what Jesus is calling us to do and whether we can respond generously. St Paul assures us in the second reading that if God the Holy Spirit is leading us, no law can touch us.
Brothers and sisters, let us entrust our lives to the God the Holy Spirit and let Him work in our lives.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Dear Jesus, let us follow you whole-heartedly and with deep love.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who show us how to love.
OXYGEN 
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