The parable that precedes today’s Gospel text, is that of an open invitation to a feast. And just in case one may be so naïve as to believe that accepting the invitation is all that is required to enter the Kingdom of God, Jesus clarifies. But His words sound rather confusing. How can the very person who challenges us to love even our enemy, now ask us hate our own family, if we are to follow Him?

In the original Aramaic, from where his translation originates, there are no comparatives! So the word for “hate”, that Jesus may have used, would correctly translate as “to love less” in the English language! And while in the previous parable, we are told that property, work, things may take priority over God’s invitation, here Jesus goes on to say that, often, even the persons we love and are attached to, may become our priority over God.

Charles Borromeo, the saint and bishop we honour today, played a major role in the Counter-Reformation. He believed that to avoid losing focus, it was imperative that we keep ourselves always in the presence of the Divine!