Last week the British government presented a new package of financial arrangements; it’s been widely analysed and commented on in the media. As usual the opinions are divided, partially because of political views, partially because of the practical effects of the budget. The only certain thing is that not everyone is happy, as it’s practically impossible to please everybody. Setting aside my and your political views, we can agree that nobody can spend more than they earn – this is our common experience. Loans and mortgages must be paid back, and the only source from which to do so is your income.
Most of us here have pretty limited means. Some may struggle to make ends meet, some may afford an occasional lunch out, while some may be able to put some money aside for a rainy day. Regardless of our particular situation I guess that most of us spend our hard-earned money pretty cautiously, identifying priorities and planning ahead our own expenses. The less we have at our disposal, the tighter the rules we must set up for ourselves and the more diligently obey them. Ten days ago I used a certified website to check up on my mobile phone bills, and I found out that I’d been paying too much regarding my usage. I eventually changed my plan and slashed my future bills by almost 50%. Tough times demand tough measures.
Setting up our own priorities doesn’t concern financial matters alone. We must apply even tougher measures to the time at our disposal because this is something we cannot borrow, or keep in a safe, or recover when it’s lost. When time has gone, it’s gone – it’s unstoppably going on and mercilessly passing us by. The longer we have lived, the more we realise that unpleasant truth. When we get a bit older we realise how much time we have wasted, how many good chances we have missed and how many opportunities we have neglected. When I was much younger I loved driving a car for the sake of it; now, slightly older, I hate every minute behind the wheel as it’s a sheer waste of precious time.
Setting priorities is actually a normal part of life, because practically everything we have at our disposal is limited. It’s no different in the spiritual dimension of life. Today’s gospel shows us three different people intending to follow Jesus. Their conversations are shortened to one sentence from each person and one sentence with Jesus’ reply. Behind those exchanges are hidden longer talks and discussions, when Jesus uncovers his talkers’ reasons and goals which could potentially lead to their disappointment. St Luke doesn’t say that those people didn’t follow Jesus’ call. They may have taken on board what Jesus had told them, corrected their priorities and responded positively. That’s the nature of life – we have to adapt to ever-changing circumstances; we have to correct or change our priorities in response to new situations and challenges.
But there’s just one priority that should never be compromised or moved down the list. It’s recalled by St Paul in today’s second reading: ‘the whole of the law is summarised in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The real challenge is to strike the right balance between love of ourselves and love of others. The former is the measure of the latter. We shouldn’t love others more than ourselves or less than ourselves, but the same. For good reason: each one of us has only one life. Living it must be satisfactory to its holder, and make sense to others.