Lk. 9: 51-62: Homily of Saint Augustine (Sermon 100, 2.3)
“When our Lord Jesus Christ ordains men to the Gospel, he does not want anyone to have any excuse to this natural and temporal piety. Precisely the law orders this pious action, and the same Lord accused the Jews of undermining that commandment of God. Saint Paul likewise says in his letter: This is the first commandment with the promise. Which one? Honor your father and mother. (Eph. 6: 2) It was no doubt a commandment of God. This young man, then, desired to obey God, burying his father.
But there are places, times and matters, which are subordinated to this matter, time and place. The father ought to be given honor, but God is to be obeyed; Parent must be loved, but the Creator must be preferred. I, Jesus says- call you to the Gospel: I call you to do something more important than what you wish to do. Let the dead bury the dead. (Lk. 9: 60) Your father has died. There are other dead people who can bury the dead. . .
In this text, the Lord instructed us about what is written in the Song of Songs: Put love in order towards me. (Songs 2:4) What do those words mean? Establish an order of grades and give to each one what is due. Do not subordinate the primary to what is secondary. Love your parents, but put God before them. Reflect on the mother of the Maccabees: Sons, I do not know how you appeared in my womb.( 2Mac 7). I could conceive you and bear you, but I could not fashion you. So listen to God, and put Him first before me. Do not bother my being left without you. She commanded and they obeyed. What the mother taught her sons was the same teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom he said: Follow me.”
Trans. by Fr. Romeo Potencio
