In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks words that can sound challenging, even unsettling: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." At first hearing, we might wonder: Is Jesus asking us to love our families less? Is He asking us to neglect those closest to us?

The answer is no. Jesus is not diminishing the importance of family. Throughout Scripture, God commands us to honor our parents, care for our children, and love one another. What Jesus is teaching is something deeper: every human relationship finds its proper place only when God is first.