Weekend Wisdom - August 24th, 2025
A Call for Anyone, but Not for Everyone
by Amberly Boerschinger, Pastoral Staff Member
by Amberly Boerschinger, Pastoral Staff Member
I don’t have much free time. Who does? But every once in a blue moon the boys are gone roughing it and Clara is at the barn or working a horse show on a Saturday when I’m home. These are often project days, but even so, I usually try to catch a few movies on my watch list while I’m working.
I recently watched Bonhoeffer on the Angel app about the life and ministry of German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was also known for being part of a famous plot to assassinate Hitler. I was gifted a copy of his book “The Cost of Discipleship” many years ago on the occasion of my Confirmation by a dear friend and teacher and to be quite honest, I have never made it through it – it has stumped me.
Suffice it to say, when I told my 7th grade son that he should watch the movie, little did I expect that he would watch it and then ask to read “The Cost of Discipleship”. He did and he is soaking it up like a sponge. One morning on the way to school, he enlightened me with Bonhoeffer’s take on Martin Luther’s protesting of the canonization of Saints in the Catholic church during the early days of the Reformation.
Bonhoeffer’s and Luther’s argument is simple – by raising certain Christian disciples up and placing them on a pedestal of sorts by way of canonization, we set a bar that feels unattainable for many disciples and followers of Jesus. The real test of a disciple, he proposes, is obedience. Bonhoeffer illustrates three (3) “would be disciples” in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 9:57-62) who are not limited by enthusiasm or virtue, but by obedience.
The person who volunteers without being called, who doesn’t understand what is required as a disciple.
The person who uses the Jewish law about burying the dead as an excuse to keep from following Jesus.
The person who wants to follow, but upon the condition that he say goodbye to his friends first.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Bonhoeffer is clear that obedience in choice is backed up by action. We had a great conversation about it and both Thomas and I believe in the communion of saints and the high value of the virtue and conversion of canonized saints, but it made both of us stop and think. In what ways are we “would be disciples”? Where have we determined that we are not good enough, worthy enough, strong enough? Have we used rules or paradigms to keep us from following Jesus? Have we placed conditions on Jesus or our “yes” to God’s call?
This weekend’s Gospel, also from Luke, reminds us that the path to holiness is not easy, it is narrow, but it is good. We must ask ourselves hard questions about obedience and discernment as disciples of Jesus because the path looks nothing like the path the world puts in front of us. The command from the Psalm this morning “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News,” and the guidance of the Holy Spirit made our canonized Saints witnesses first to obedience and then holiness and virtue. As Catholics, we believe that we all receive that same call at baptism and we will spend our lives deciding if and how we should respond.
When you knock, will the Master open the door to you?