You're listening to the I Pray with the Gospel Sunday Reflection on the St. Jose Maria Institute podcast.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me.

I adore you with profound reverence.

I ask your pardon for my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my Father and Lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.

The 13th Sunday and ordinary time.

A reading from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9.

Jesus said to a man, follow me, but he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father.

But he said to him, leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the

kingdom of God. Another said, I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.

Jesus said to him,

No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Many people want to follow Jesus, but they have second thoughts when meeting difficulties.

They plan to follow him, but not now, maybe later, tomorrow perhaps.

They have other priorities now.

Eventually it happens to them as to that old British man who was working in the garage in Spain.

When they asked him why he was living there, he would say, I came for a gap year

when I was 18. Some people start a gap year before committing themselves to follow Jesus and spend

their lives in a spiritual gap year. St. Augustine was leading a life of sin and striving for a career as

the orator. Listening to St. Ambrose, a life of sin and striving for a career as the orator.

Listening to St. Ambrose, a great speaker, he realized that God could change him, but he wasn't interested yet.

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