Monday, July 13, 2020 - 15th week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew 10, 34 - 11, 1 - Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven!

The word of Christ must not be taken literally here. He does not recommend disrespect or hatred towards parents, but He asks for a firm decision from those who are on mission in His name. Matthew here relates the guidelines for those who will continue Christ's mission: to leave everything, father, mother and even life out of love for Him.

In demanding this, Christ does not contradict the fourth commandment, but He wants above all to make people admit that attachment to temporal goods must come after Him. From a purely human point of view, this generates a certain suffering, but this suffering must be endured in order to be worthy of Him. Following Christ, the Christian life can put us in opposition or in conflict with those who are close to us. Christ himself said: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth: I have not come to bring peace, but the sword. Yes, I have come to separate man from his father, the daughter from her mother". That's our share of the cross. Above all, Christ wants us to be free to come closer to Him.