Today's Mass Reading

 

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."

I was curious to see how the priest would handle today’s mass reading. Going as it does against the common idolatry of “family values.” 

His response was predictable.

“Of course this does not mean we are not supposed to love our parents. Indeed, the greater our love for God, the greater our love for others.”

Which is true, but does not explain the reading. If it is not meant to say what it says, why is it in the Bible? Did God or the Church make some mistake by including it?

It is a warning against loving your parents, or children, or indeed yourself, too much. One is supposed, instead, to love God, and after that, righteous men.

One loves one’s parents, or one’s children, if they are righteous men. Not because they are your parents, or children, but because they are righteous men.

Anything else is immoral, in just the same way racism is immoral.