Today’s Scripture Readings

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

The scripture for today is a confronting moment in the Gospel. Three people approach Jesus, seeking to follow him, promising loyalty, yet each hesitates, wanting to prepare themselves first. Jesus’ response to each is sharp, reminding us that following him is not a half-hearted choice. It asks for everything.

Today is the feast of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church. In her short life, she discovered that discipleship does indeed ask for everything, but she also shows us a way that is tender, trusting, and accessible: the Little Way.

Thérèse spent much of her short adult life in the hiddenness of a monastery. From the outside, it may have seemed uneventful, even ordinary. Yet within those walls, she found countless ways to love God in the small, daily actions of life—an encouraging word, a hidden sacrifice, a smile offered when she felt weary. For her, holiness was not measured by great deeds, but by the simplicity and love of the heart.

Thérèse whispers to us that holiness is possible—because it is not about our ability, but about our willingness to be little, to be lifted. Following Jesus does ask for everything, but it begins with small acts of trust, with love lived here and now, with letting God be the strength that carries us.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus warns against looking back or delaying the call. Thérèse shows us that we can live this urgency of love in the ordinariness of our daily life. In every moment, we can say with her: ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’