06/30/2025
DO NOT DELAY
– Daily
30th June 2025
Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Matthew 8:18-22 (The Cost of Following Jesus)
Read: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/063025.cfm
Sharer: Bro. Dennis Carpio
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Reflection verse:
“Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:22)
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DO NOT DELAY
Reflection:
For a long time now, I’ve felt the Lord calling me to serve Him more—not just in the background, but to step up and do something intentional for Him. And honestly, my answer has been, “Yes, Lord—but only when the timing works for me.”
I had all the reasons lined up:
“My kids are still small. They need me—and here in Australia, it’s not like we can just hire a stay-at-home nanny.”
“I’m the only one earning. I have to make sure we’re okay.”
“Work is hectic. There’s always something urgent.”
“I need to get my business off the ground first. Then I’ll have space to serve.”
I’ve told myself these things again and again. But when I sit with it now, I realize—they were just excuses. Real, reasonable responsibilities, yes—but also convenient ways to put off saying a full ‘yes’ to God.
And here’s the grace I want to share today: in all those moments of hesitation, Christine, my wife, has been the steady one—our “ilaw ng tahanan.” She’s been the quiet, firm voice of reason reminding me to pray, to discern, to think about what really matters. She’s the one who has kept our household grounded—not just practically, but spiritually.
Through her, I’ve come to see that the family really is the basic unit of the Church—not just a support system, but a place where God speaks. St. John Paul II called the family the “domestic church,” the first community where faith is learned and lived. But as today’s Gospel reminds us, even family—if placed above Christ—can become a reason to delay our ‘yes’. The key is putting Jesus first, together, so the family becomes the launchpad, not the roadblock, to following Him.
In today’s Gospel, someone tells Jesus, “Let me go and bury my father first.” And Jesus replies, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” That sounds confronting—especially for us Filipinos who put a high value on family duties.
But Jesus isn’t being heartless. He’s being direct. Jesus is showing that when God calls, we need to respond without delay.
Delayed obedience is still disobedience. When Jesus says ‘follow me,’ He means now.
If I keep waiting for the “perfect time” to follow Him, it may never come. Life will always be busy. There will always be bills, work issues, and family needs.
Jesus is asking for a ‘yes’ that’s not delayed by convenience. A ‘yes’ that’s real, even if life is messy. And part of saying yes is learning to surrender our worries to Him—to trust that He knows what we’re carrying and will take care of what we leave behind.
It’s not about abandoning our responsibilities. It’s about trusting God enough to carry them with us, or for us, so we can carry what He’s actually asking us to do.
If you’re feeling that same nudge from the Lord—maybe it’s to serve, to forgive someone, to come back to prayer—don’t wait for everything to fall into place. Start with what you can give now. He sees your heart.
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Reflect:
Is there a “not yet, Lord” in your heart that’s keeping you from a full ‘yes’?
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Let’s Pray:
Lord, You know how much I want to follow You… but You also see what I’m afraid to leave behind. Help me surrender the things I keep clinging to—my worries, my timing, my conditions. Give me the grace to trust that whatever I let go of for You, You will provide for. Teach me to carry what You’ve asked of me, and not everything else I’ve picked up along the way. Amen.
