Today’s readings from the Old Testament and the Gospel may seem obscure with little connection to us. The first reading tells us how Elisha leaves his work in the field and slaughters his oxen providing food for his people. He takes these drastic actions so he can follow the prophet Elijah as his successor chosen by God. In the Gospel reading, Jesus makes some harsh statements about those who wish to follow him. He tells these disciples that “the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Those who are called have no time to bury the dead or say farewell to relatives. What’s the point of these provocative passages? There are several underlying messages here. First, we see that God’s call is absolute because God is absolute. We too have to be ready when God calls, no matter when or how life-changing. Second, we are reminded in these readings of God’s authority. There is only one God; He is the only One to whom we must say “thy will be done” without any hesitancy or qualification. There is nothing more important in our daily lives than God. Jesus makes these seemingly disturbing statements to His disciples to help them understand what following Him will mean for their lives. Jesus is not complaining about the lack of hotel accommodations when He tells his followers that there is no place to rest his head. Rather, He is telling them that the journey will not be easy. To follow Him, we too must be prepared for losing our natural place of rest, our comfort zone. We too must place our Lord at the very top of our priority list. Like Elisha and these early disciples, we also must learn to trust Him and obey without bargaining or delay. Our society tells us to place our own interests and our wants first. But the disciples of Jesus are called to walk a different path from those around them. By placing God first, we are also called to share His love with all. Our reward is joy in this world and eternal life with God in heaven. Reflection by parishioner, Dale Gerber