The great journey begins. ‘Jesus resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem. Jesus has already set Jerusalem as the heart of the Gospel story. In going to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking the road to his death and resurrection. Jesus knew full well that in going to Jerusalem, he was opening himself up to the plan of His heavenly Father. Those who journey with Jesus in every generation must make Jerusalem their goal. For Jesus journey to Jerusalem is no simple travelog but a vocation to discipleship and mission that will indeed take the rest of our lives. For you and I to set our faces toward Jerusalem is the surrender we must make when we choose to follow God’s call in our lives – wherever that may lead us. In other words, the Gospel invites us to reflect on the cost of discipleship. St.Paul writes that we must abandon the violence of biting and devouring one another, choosing instead to serve one another through love. Our focus is how do we respond to our call to discipleship of the Lord Jesus. The original twelve for all their imperfections and their idiocracies were willing to leave everything in following Jesus. Their response to the Lord was immediate and complete. What are willing to leave behind in order to respond to God’s call and what are unwilling to leave behind? As we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, what really comes first for me: Kingdom of God or values of our culture? People the Lord calls us to serve or my pet projects? The friends who value our time or our portfolio investments? What is our attitude toward our Muslim neighbors during this month of Ramadan? Are they to be loved or hated? What are we to think of a sign on our Church property that reflects a desire to connect with and pray with our Muslim neighbors? Recall again the words of the Gospel when James and John asked Jesus: “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus rebuked them. What is holding you back right now from following the Lord more fully in your life? The Scriptures invite us to consider or reconsider our vocation to discipleship of the Lord Jesus. If we are on the brink of making a life decision, we are invited with a Gospel freedom to follow Jesus beyond reasonable expectations. How much of your God-given giftedness are you willing to share with others? For Pope Francis, our discipleship of the Lord Jesus is to seen through the lens of mercy. We are all the recipients of the merciful of Jesus, and we are to witness to the merciful love of Jesus in the ways we serve one another.