On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut several players hoping to make the team. How disappointing it must have been for them. They put so much work and effort into their training camp. Also, on Monday, the Rays traded Brett Phillips, a local product from Seminole and fan favorite. He was struggling at the plate, hitting only .147.
Professional sports are a challenging game to survive. Besides the workouts and sweat, they surrender valuable time to their families. Many are called, but few are chosen. That’s a line from Jesus. He talks about calculating the cost to become his disciple.
The gospel uses the word hate. This term seems very harsh. However, the people in our Lord’s time understood hate meant to love Jesus more than family and home.
Could it be that we’ve lost the challenge of being a disciple, living in the comforts of our American society? The Bucs play for a trophy they hope to win in the Super Bowl. The Rays play for a trophy they hope to win in the World Series. How much they sacrifice for something that will be old a day later. The bragging rights soon disappear.
Jesus calls us to calculate what we will sacrifice for a new relationship with Him. It never gets old, only better. So, let’s ask ourselves, are we satisfied with the impact our faith in Jesus and the church has on our lives? What time, talent, and treasure do we sacrifice because we love Jesus so much?
The king in the parable had to calculate if he could face an army twice his size. We all must calculate what Jesus is worth to us. Yes, it’s a tough question to ponder. Are we up to the challenge of His cross? It’s better to do it today before it’s too late and the world overcomes our hearts completely. On the other hand, we don’t want to have to surrender to anyone or anything but Jesus.
October 24, 2025, Luke 12:54-59 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102425.cfm Interpret the Times Jesus says in the gospel that we know how to interpret the weather, but we don’t
October 23, 2025, Luke 12:49-53 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102325.cfm Find a friend in Jesus. I moved to Florida in 1995. It’s terrific to play golf and enjoy the
October 22, 2025, Luke 12:39-48 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102225.cfm I will do whatever it takes. I often recorded Tampa Bay Rays post-game shows. They always interview the player
October 21, 2025, Luke 12:35-38 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102125.cfm It seems like a long time. Waiting for something to happen feels so far away. When I began
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C 2022
Fr. Rick’s Two Minute 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 09-04-2022
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C 2022
Luke 14:25-33 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090422.cfm
JESUS IS WORTH OUR SURRENDER
On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut several players hoping to make the team. How disappointing it must have been for them. They put so much work and effort into their training camp. Also, on Monday, the Rays traded Brett Phillips, a local product from Seminole and fan favorite. He was struggling at the plate, hitting only .147.
Professional sports are a challenging game to survive. Besides the workouts and sweat, they surrender valuable time to their families. Many are called, but few are chosen. That’s a line from Jesus. He talks about calculating the cost to become his disciple.
The gospel uses the word hate. This term seems very harsh. However, the people in our Lord’s time understood hate meant to love Jesus more than family and home.
Could it be that we’ve lost the challenge of being a disciple, living in the comforts of our American society? The Bucs play for a trophy they hope to win in the Super Bowl. The Rays play for a trophy they hope to win in the World Series. How much they sacrifice for something that will be old a day later. The bragging rights soon disappear.
Jesus calls us to calculate what we will sacrifice for a new relationship with Him. It never gets old, only better. So, let’s ask ourselves, are we satisfied with the impact our faith in Jesus and the church has on our lives? What time, talent, and treasure do we sacrifice because we love Jesus so much?
The king in the parable had to calculate if he could face an army twice his size. We all must calculate what Jesus is worth to us. Yes, it’s a tough question to ponder. Are we up to the challenge of His cross? It’s better to do it today before it’s too late and the world overcomes our hearts completely. On the other hand, we don’t want to have to surrender to anyone or anything but Jesus.
IGNITE THE FIRE!
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