Daily Catholic Lectio
Wed, 4 Nov 2026
XXXI Week in Ordinary Time
Phil 2:12-18; Lk 14:25-33
Fully and in Advance
After teaching about dining, hospitality, and accepting the invitation to the banquet, Jesus now speaks about discipleship. He defines what discipleship requires: detachment from relationships, detachment from possessions, and acceptance of the cross. Then He gives two images: a person building a tower and a king going to war.
The person who builds a tower must know fully both his own strength and the resources available to him. Without complete planning, he cannot complete the tower. Anyone who begins something must have a plan that reaches all the way to its completion. Ecclesiastes says, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning” (cf. Eccl 7:8). Stephen Covey expresses the same idea with the principle, “Begin with the end in mind.” Following Jesus is not simply an event that begins today and continues for some time. Its final goal is to follow Him even to the cross and death. A disciple must begin with that end in mind.
The king who is going to war must first sit down and think. He must understand both his own strength and the strength of his opponent, and then change his strategy accordingly. Otherwise, he must be prepared to seek terms of peace. If he fails to do so, he may face great destruction. Lives and resources may be wasted. The earlier and more wisely he plans and decides, the greater his possibility of success.
On the one hand, discipleship requires us to plan fully and in advance. On the other hand, the same principle applies to life itself. If we desire fulfilment and success, we must learn to act fully and to prepare in advance.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A Yesni Prays Initiative
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