While many people claim that they have been led to the Christian vocation through the help and education of their parents; many others, however, have experienced strong opposition to their Christian vocation from their parents and relatives. For those who have decided to follow Jesus in whatever way, especially those who have experienced opposition from their native environment, today's Gospel is a masterpiece. Jesus tells us that "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me…". More sharply, the evangelist Luke put it in this way "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Lk 14, 26). But how could Jesus encourage his followers to "hate" their relatives and themselves to be worthy of following him? How do we read through the lines of today's Gospel as we follow Jesus amid the challenges of our family environment?

Sometimes the unsupportive family environment can indeed become a real pain in the neck for anyone willing to follow Jesus Christ. Think of those parents putting conditions like: "Before you engage in that ministry, make sure first you graduate from college", or "We made you study, so you should care for your siblings after you", or "You should become the breadwinner of the family since we are aging!" or "that state of life you are choosing is not in our family traditions, you should also become a lawyer, a medical doctor or another career suitable for a great family like ours", or those who say "Your faith is against our traditional beliefs" etc. Because of these conditions and objections, many young people have abandoned their desire to consecrate themselves to the Lord.

Although these suggestions from some parents seem to be right, they are lucking in just one thing, the thing that Jesus is asking of us today: a true disciple must love and follow Jesus above all, above his family ties, his household, and even above his own life. However, this does not mean literally hating them. The fourth commandment teaches us to honor our father and mother. Following Jesus should be a way for loving Him above everything and, at the same time, a way of honoring our parents. Keeping in mind that if we render a dignified service to God, it will give dew credits to the parents who educated us. In fact, following Jesus should make us become better sons and daughters to our parents, or better husbands, fathers, wives, and mothers for those called to marriage.

Persistent opposition to the call to follow Jesus can be considered a "cross". Today Jesus says "He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." Following Jesus in an unsupportive environment is a cross to carry with great love and compassion. Still, it requires putting Jesus before family ties without neglecting the basics of Christian charity. It requires looking at the world with the eyes of faith. It is to deny oneself like Jesus, like the martyr. As Pope Francis says: "So often in countless ways we are asked to compromise our faith, to water down the radical demands of the Gospel and to conform to the spirit of this age. Yet the martyrs call out to us to put Christ first". It is only when we have accepted to love Jesus above all, to carry the cross and deny oneself that we will be able to serve God freely, to see Jesus in all those we serve but also see Jesus in those who minister to us.