Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
The mark of a great leader is the demands he makes upon his followers.
Garibaldi, the Italian freedom fighter, offered his soldiers only hunger and death for the sake of a free Italy. Winston Churchill rallied Britain in its darkest hour by telling his people that he had nothing to offer them but “blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” Great leaders never hide the cost; they tell you the truth about what lies ahead.
And Jesus? He set the bar even higher. He turned to His disciples and said: “If you want to come after me, take up your cross.”
Why so harsh? Because He knew the road that lay ahead. History records the fates of the apostles: Andrew died on a cross. Bartholomew was flayed alive. James, son of Zebedee, was beheaded; James son of Alphaeus, beaten to death. Thomas was pierced with a lance. Peter was crucified upside down. Thaddeus shot with arrows. Philip hanged. Only John escaped martyrdom, but even he was exiled to Patmos.
Christianity was never meant to be a comfortable Sunday religion. It was always a call to full commitment — a willingness to place Christ above everything, even life itself.
That is the challenge of today’s Gospel. Luke says, “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus.” And crowds always have mixed motives. Some came for free bread. Some came for miracles. Some came for the thrill of seeing this fiery prophet. But very few came ready to pay the cost. So Jesus turns to them and lays it bare: “If anyone comes to me without hating father and mother, spouse and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Strong words. Shocking words. But they force us to confront the truth: to follow Jesus means three things.

1. We must establish our priorities.
2. We must count the cost.
3. We must be willing to pay the price.

Jesus begins with priorities. “Whoever does not hate father and mother… cannot be my disciple.” Of course He does not mean literal hatred. He Himself honored His mother Mary and taught us to love our neighbor. But He is using bold, Semitic exaggeration to make the point: even the most noble love — love of family, love of self — cannot take precedence over love for God.
And yet how often our priorities get muddled.

• A career overshadows a marriage.
• Success becomes more important than children.
• Hobbies crowd out prayer.
• A television show takes the place of family dinner.

We intend to live by faith, but in daily practice, God often slides further and further down the list.
One writer calculated how the average 70-year life is spent:

• Sleeping: 23 years.
• Working: 16 years.
• Watching TV: 8 years.
• Eating: 6 years.
• Traveling: 6 years.
• Leisure: 4.5 years.
• Illness: 4 years.
• Dressing: 2 years.
• Religion: 0.5 years — half a year out of seventy.

Think about that. Half a year for God. Half a year for prayer, worship, service, and Scripture. If Jesus is serious when He says, “Seek first the kingdom,” then our current priorities fall tragically short.
To follow Jesus, we must begin by putting first things first. God before wealth. God before comfort. God even before family.

The second step is to count the cost. Jesus gives a parable: “Who among you builds a tower without first calculating the expense? Otherwise you might lay a foundation and then be unable to finish, and everyone will laugh at you.”
Practical advice, but spiritually profound. Discipleship is not something we “try” casually, like a hobby. It is a lifelong commitment, a total way of life.
Think of marriage. No couple stands at the altar saying, “We’ll give this a try for a while.” They know marriage requires fidelity, sacrifice, perseverance. Or think of a soldier enlisting. He knows he may be called to the battlefield. So too with the Christian: before we take the name of Christ, we must know what it demands.
The tragedy is that many in the crowds around Jesus followed for shallow reasons. They dreamed of glory; He knew a cross awaited. They thought the Kingdom would be a throne in Jerusalem; He knew it would be a hill called Calvary.
That is why He warns us: “Don’t start unless you’re willing to finish. Don’t follow unless you are ready to go all the way.”

Finally, Jesus says it as clearly as possible: “Any one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
That is the price tag: everything. There is no corner of life exempt from His call.
Look at Scripture.

• Abraham offered his son.
• Moses walked away from Pharaoh’s court.
• Peter left his family’s fishing boats.
• Matthew gave up his tax collector’s wealth.
• Paul abandoned prestige as a Pharisee.

The cost was high — but so was the joy. They discovered what Jesus promises: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
A story makes the point. Centuries ago, a nobleman built a beautiful church for his mountain village. But when the people entered, they noticed there were no lamps. The nobleman explained: “Each family will receive a lamp. Bring it with you whenever you come to worship. Every time you are here, your place will be lit. Every time you are absent, your place will be dark.”
What a lesson. The light of Christ’s Church depends on our commitment. Each disciple matters. If we are halfhearted, the Body grows dim. If we give ourselves fully, the Body shines bright.
Now, what does this mean for us today?

• For parents, discipleship might mean sacrificing personal dreams to raise children in faith.
• For young people, it might mean standing firm in values when classmates push the opposite.
• For business owners, it means conducting work with integrity even when dishonesty pays better.
• For parishioners, it might mean showing up, bringing your “lamp,” week after week, to light this church with your faith.

The cost looks different for each of us. But the principle is the same: Jesus asks for everything, because only when we surrender all do we discover the fullness of life.

I often wonder: what if the apostles had refused? What if they had dropped their crosses? Where would the Church be today?
Instead, they paid the ultimate price, and because of their faith, Christianity spread across the globe. Today a third of humanity calls Christ Lord. That is the fruit of their sacrifice.
So let me ask you: What if every member of our parish supported the church exactly as you do? What if everyone prayed as much as you pray, gave as much as you give, served as much as you serve? What kind of church would we be?
Discipleship is not easy. Jesus does not trick us with false promises. He tells us the cost upfront. It will require everything. But He also promises everything: eternal joy, everlasting life, a place in the Kingdom of God.
So today, count the cost. Establish your priorities. Be willing to pay the price. And remember this: whatever we give up, whatever cross we carry, Christ carries it with us. We are never alone.
Amen.