On this 13 th Sunday of ordinary time, in chapter 10 of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, from verses 37 to 42, Christ lays out what a true disciple should do, such as to let go of that which is preferable and again to move away from one’s comfort zones, meaning to sacrifice. What can I let go of or surrender to be more attached to Christ as his faithful disciple today? Two things are necessary in the Gospel. First ‘to surrender’ or to let go, and second ‘to reward for letting go’. According to the Gospel of the 13th Sunday, there are three things you must do as a disciple of Christ: let go or surrender those people who are close to you, such as family members like father, mother, daughter, son, brother, and sister. But is it true and correct to let go of the parents and then follow Christ? This statement does not mean literally abandoning our parents or family members because honoring our father and mother is among the Ten sacraments, and secondly, biologically speaking, our parents are responsible for us having been born in this world. Our parents are the source of goodness as the primary cause of every human. To let go of our parents does not mean we forget them, abandon them, or deny them, because even Christ on the cross said to the beloved disciple, “Behold your mother” referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and from that moment on, the beloved disciple took care of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a spiritual mother.

Jesus begins by emphasizing the importance of loving him above everything else, praising the cross, and embracing death. If we are not close to him, we can’t possibly do these things. The value of prayer is best understood in the context of developing a close relationship with the Lord.

What Jesus did at Calvary—or, to put it another way, what was in his heart—securing himself to the Father—was more significant than what they did to him. As a result, we must move forward in the face of adversity, just like Jesus’ apostles, and be prepared to endure the required sacrifice. We can all work together, and when we do, we benefit from what was promised to others. So, once more, the mission is the subject of our attention. We must have confidence in following Jesus and understanding of the reward we will receive if we endure and obey him.

Forming a prayer habit cultivates our friendship with him, so we become friends with him in prayer. When we spend a lot of time with a specific friend, we pick up some of his or her habits. As a result, when we associate with Christ, we learn from Him. And when we engage in his life of self-denial and sacrifice, we share in his rewards as well. On this 13th Sunday, we are called to let go of what distracts us from Christ, to sacrifice, to follow him, and, eventually, to leave our comfort zones in order to follow in Christ’s footsteps.

Matthew 10:37-42

Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”