Weekly Devotional: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
To love Him above all is at the heart of discipleship. This week, Jesus calls us to a radical form of discipleship, one that asks us to place Him above all earthly ties and to respond with steadfast love, sacrifice, and trust. As we reflect on Matthew’s Gospel, we see that following Christ comes with a cost: loving Him above all, carrying our crosses, and surrendering our lives for His sake. Yet, it is precisely in this surrender that we discover the true life and lasting reward God promises. How might Jesus’ words challenge and inspire us to deepen our commitment as His disciples?
A Look at the First Reading
In the first reading, the Shunammite woman recognizes Elisha not by his status, but by his holiness: “I perceive that this is a holy man of God.” She doesn’t just offer him a meal; she creates space for him in her own home, a “roof chamber” where he can rest.
Her reward for this generosity is the gift of a son—a miracle beyond human possibility. In God’s providence, our generosity toward those who serve Him is never wasted; it becomes an opportunity to receive His grace in unexpected ways.
This story reminds us that God’s generosity always surpasses our own.
The Psalm
Today’s Psalm offers a joyful declaration of praise, assuring us that God’s mercy endures and is as steadfast as the heavens.
The Psalmist reminds us that those who walk in the light of God’s presence find joy throughout the day, drawing strength from His righteousness.
The Psalm concludes by anchoring our security in God alone, reminding us that our protection and true safety are gifts from the Lord.
The Second Reading
In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul teaches that in Baptism, we are immersed in the very death and burial of Jesus Christ. What might this mean for us?
Going down into the water means that we are united to Christ’s death and burial in the tomb.
Coming up out of the water means that we are raised with Him in His Resurrection.
This reveals the radical power of the Sacrament. Baptism wipes away a lifetime of sin and its effects, not because of the water itself, but because we are united to Christ’s Paschal Mystery.
Through grace, we are grafted into the death and resurrection of Jesus. His death becomes our death to sin, and His new life becomes our new life in God.
Here we see the deep connection between discipleship and Baptism: dying with Christ so that we might live anew. Sacrifice and surrender are at the heart of following Jesus, leading us into new life.
“Let none of you be found a deserter. Let your baptism abide with you as
you shield; your faith as your helmet; your love as your spear;
your patience as your body armor.
Let your works be your deposits, that ye may receive your
assets due to you. Be ye therefore long-suffering one
with another in gentleness, as God is with you.” — Letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch to St. Polycarp of Smyrna 6 (c. A.D. 110)
The Gospel
Jesus, in His discourse to the disciples, speaks with intensity. He makes a startling demand: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Jesus emphasizes that loving Him must take precedence over even the deepest human relationships.
To understand why Jesus would demand to love Him above all others, we must look back to the Old Testament. The Jewish people prayed the great prayer Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–6) daily: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
By asking His followers to love Him with that same “all-consuming” love, Jesus is making an implicit but unmistakable claim to His own Divinity. He is positioning Himself as equal to the Father. He is not merely a prophet or a teacher; He is the Author of Life, and therefore, He is the only one who can rightly demand the entirety of our hearts.
In the first-century Jewish context, the cross was a symbol of shame and a Roman instrument of execution. Yet Jesus invites His disciples to embrace suffering willingly, trusting that true victory and life are found through the cross, as revealed in His own Passion and Resurrection.
Jesus assures us that acts of hospitality toward His followers will not go unnoticed by God. Even the smallest acts of kindness hold eternal significance in His eyes.
Connecting the Readings
Both the story of Elisha and Jesus’ teachings highlight the importance of hospitality and support for those who serve God. The Shunammite woman’s generosity prefigures our Christian calling to welcome and care for Christ’s messengers. The Psalm reassures us of God’s protection and unending mercy, even in times of hardship. St. Paul reminds us that Christ’s death on the Cross is our death to sin, and His resurrection is our new life in God.
Each act of kindness becomes a participation in God’s blessing and a sign of our love for Jesus Himself.
The Church highlights this to remind the faithful that when we welcome a religious or a missionary in hospitality, we are, in fact, receiving Christ, because they have Christ’s authority to be identified with him.
Application to Our Daily Life
How can we respond to Jesus’ challenging words today?
The Shunammite woman did not wait for a need to arise; she prepared a place for Elisha in her home. How might we create space for God in our homes or in our daily routines? When we serve the “little ones” of God, we are serving Christ Himself.
St. Paul reminds us that we have “died to sin” in Baptism. When you encounter a temptation—to gossip, to lose your temper, or to be selfish—pause and remember: “That version of me died in the baptismal font.”
Jesus calls us to love Him above all, more than father or mother. When we place God at the center of our lives, all our other loves find their proper order. Loving God first frees us from expecting others to fulfill needs that only the Creator can satisfy. In this way, we help those we love journey toward Heaven.
Jesus speaks of carrying the cross each day. While we may think of the cross as life’s great trials, it is often found in the ordinary moments: a long commute, a tedious task, an extra chore, or a challenging relationship. What if we offered these small burdens to God as a sacrifice? Embracing these moments with love, rather than resentment, allows us to participate in Christ’s redeeming work.
Key Takeaways
- Discipleship calls us to love Jesus above all else, even above family, and to be willing to make sacrifices for Him.
- True commitment to Christ involves daily surrender, embracing both significant and ordinary crosses as paths to new life.
- Generosity and hospitality, especially toward those who serve God, are always rewarded and become acts of love for Christ Himself.
- Baptism unites us to Christ’s death and resurrection, empowering us to live a new life, free from sin and anchored in God’s mercy.
- Placing God at the center of our lives brings order, freedom, and a deeper love for others, as all our relationships find their true purpose in Him.
Final Thoughts
This week, Jesus’ words challenge us to examine the depth of our love and commitment to Him. To love Him above all shapes how we love, sacrifice, and trust in God’s plan. Yet, as we surrender ourselves, we open our hearts to the divine life—a life that is eternal and filled with the joy of sharing in Christ’s victory over sin and death.
Let us ask for courage to embrace the crosses of discipleship, trusting that through sacrifice, we discover the true life Christ promises—a life that begins now and lasts forever.
May we open our hearts each day to Jesus, loving Him above all and welcoming His messengers with generosity.
Pax et bonum,
Michalina
I love diving into the Word with you! If you prefer to listen rather than read, I’ve put together a video version of this reflection to help you prep for Mass. You can click here to open it on YouTube, or watch it directly below.
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