The 100th Tour De France started on the island of Corsica yesterday and was riddled with crashes particularly near the end of the stage.

Thought on Sunday – July – 30/06/2013

The following reflection is by Triona Doherty called ‘No Time Like The Present’


It sounds harsh – no stability or security, no time to bury your loved ones, no time to say goodbye to your family. Surely Jesus could have offered a bit of leeway to those who were willing to follow him? Three people offer themselves as disciples, and in each case Jesus lets them know what a radical decision it is to follow him. They must cast aside their worldly worries and concerns and be single-minded in their discipleship. Following Jesus requires great sacrifice, and there are no excuses!

Take a look back over the Gospel readings from the last few Sundays. We have heard a lot about discipleship and what it involves. It is not easy. Last week Jesus spoke of discipleship as the way of the cross; this week he warns that we must leave our old lives behind and not look back. What does this mean for us – are we to literally hit the road and abandon our lives and families? I think Jesus is trying to convey the enormity of the decision we make in following him. It may not lead to a comfortable life. We must try to live by God’s standards rather than our own or those of the world.

‘The disciple simply burns his boat and goes ahead. He is called out.. The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity – out of the realm of the finite – into the realm of infinite possibilities’ ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer